The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration has inaugurated its 14th Chinese Corner, marking the expansion of Mandarin language instruction in Nigerian secondary schools. The initiative coincides with the inclusion of Mandarin as one of the foreign languages in the newly reviewed senior secondary school curriculum nationwide.

The inauguration took place on Tuesday at Government Secondary School Tudun Wada, Abuja, with FCT Education Secretary Dr. Danlami Hayyo highlighting the foresight of the FCT Education Board.

“May I inform you that in the recent review of our curriculum, the Chinese language has been selected as one of the international languages to offer in Senior Secondary Schools,” Hayyo said.

“The FCT has been very visionary in introducing the subject in our schools through the Chinese Corners early enough. Chinese Mandarin has the largest number of speakers in the world and today it has become the language of commerce, education, and tourism.”

The 14th Chinese Corner was sponsored by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Nigeria’s largest Chinese construction company, as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives. Hayyo noted that the centres across FCT secondary schools have facilitated cultural exchange and educational opportunities, including enabling students to pursue further studies in China and providing teachers with capacity-building programs abroad.

“The bilateral relations have seen the establishment of 13 Chinese Corners, and today’s commissioning of the 14th Corner at G.S.S Tudun Wada continues this effort,” Hayyo said. “These Corners have greatly enhanced education and cultural exchange between Nigeria and China. Staff and teachers have also benefitted from attending training programs in China.”

Chinese Counselor Yang Jianxing explained that the Chinese Corner concept originated twelve years ago as a platform to strengthen China-Nigeria relations through cultural and educational exchanges.

“Over the past decade, this platform has become a link connecting Chinese and Nigerian cultures, a bridge narrowing the hearts of young people from both countries,” he said. “For students, the Chinese Corner is not only an immersive classroom for learning Chinese and experiencing Chinese culture, but also a window to observe the world.”

Yang also emphasized that the Chinese diplomatic missions in Nigeria will continue to support cooperation in culture and education, promoting a closer China-Africa and China-Nigeria community with a shared future.

Dr. Muhammed Ladan, Director and Secretary of the FCT Secondary Education Board, described the initiative as a testament to strong bilateral relations. “The Chinese Corners aim not just at fostering people-to-people exchanges but also to provide resources for learning Mandarin, potential scholarships to China, and strengthen diplomatic relations through artistic collaboration,” he said.

The FCT Secondary Education Board first established the prototype Chinese Corner at G.S.S Garki in 2013, followed by additional centres in subsequent years. By 2024, the program had expanded to include a centre at G.S.S Wuse Zone 3, with the current 14th Corner marking the latest addition.