Guests and students pose for a group photo at the launch ceremony of a "Chinese Corner" at the Government Secondary School in Tudun Wada of Abuja, Nigeria, Sept. 16, 2025. (Nigeria China Cultural Center/Handout via Xinhua)
Nigeria has officially added Mandarin, the standard Chinese language, to its senior secondary school curriculum in a nationwide policy decision, aiming to strengthen bilateral educational and cultural exchanges and prepare its youth for a globalized future, a local official said.
ABUJA, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria has officially added Mandarin, the standard Chinese language, to its senior secondary school curriculum in a nationwide policy decision, aiming to strengthen bilateral educational and cultural exchanges and prepare its youth for a globalized future, a local official said.
The decision by Nigerian educational authorities to teach Mandarin was a direct outcome of a recent curriculum review, Mandate Secretary for Education in Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Danlami Hayyo said on Wednesday at the commissioning of a new "Chinese Corner" at the Government Secondary School in Nyanya, one of the two "Chinese Corners" introduced this week in the local secondary schools.
"In the recent review of our curriculum, the Chinese language was selected as one of the international languages to be taught in our senior secondary schools," Hayyo said, adding that this demonstrates the FCT's foresight in introducing the subject.
Mandarin will join Arabic and French as an optional foreign language course in Nigerian public senior secondary schools.
This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2025 shows the newly launched "Chinese Corner" at the Government Secondary School in Tudun Wada of Abuja, Nigeria. (Nigeria China Cultural Center/Handout via Xinhua)
According to Mohammed Sani Ladan, director of the FCT Secondary Education Board, the 15 "Chinese Corners" established since 2013 in Nigerian schools have been far more than just physical spaces. "They are symbols of friendship and cooperation," he said, noting that they also provide opportunities for students and teachers to learn Mandarin, access scholarships, and prepare for global engagement.
In separate interviews with Xinhua, school officials and students expressed appreciation for the initiative, emphasizing the immense opportunities the "Chinese Corners" would unlock, from teacher training to international scholarships.
Mojisola Akerele, principal of the Government Secondary School in Tudun Wada, told Xinhua that the new learning centers would enable students to acquaint themselves with the Chinese language through donated books and resources.
Speaking at the commissioning events, Yang Jianxing, cultural counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, described the "Chinese Corners" as a "bridge narrowing the hearts of young people from the two countries." He said that learning the Chinese language offers possibilities for Nigerian youth, from participating in economic and trade exchanges to furthering studies in Chinese universities.
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