By Sabiu Abdullahi
The Chinese language, Mandarin, has been officially introduced into the senior secondary school curriculum in Nigeria, following a recent review of the national curriculum.
The announcement was made in Abuja on Tuesday by the Secretary of Education for the Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, during the commissioning of the 14th Chinese Corner at Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada.
The initiative is supported by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation as part of its corporate social responsibility.
“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. That is to say that the FCT has been very visionary in introducing the subject in our schools through the Chinese Corners early enough,” Hayyo said.
He stressed that Mandarin is the most widely spoken language globally and has become vital in commerce, education, and tourism. According to him, embracing Chinese education and culture is “a wise move.”
Hayyo further explained that with the new centre at GSS Tudun Wada, the FCT now has 14 Chinese Corners.
“The bilateral relations have led to the establishment of 13 Chinese Corners, and the commissioning of the 14th Corner at GSS Tudun Wada today.
These centres have greatly enhanced education and cultural exchange between Nigeria and China. It has opened a window for better understanding and appreciation of our various cultures and given our students the opportunity to pursue further education in China,” he added.
He also noted that teachers and staff of the FCT had benefited from training in China.
“Today we are proud to say that it is only the FCT that has Chinese Corners in its schools in the whole federation,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, Hayyo thanked the Chinese government and its embassy in Nigeria for their contributions to education and cultural exchange.
He ended his remarks with a Chinese proverb: “Hai nei cun zhiji, tianya ruo bi lin,” meaning, “A bosom friend brings distant lands near.”
The Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Yang Jianxing, said the Chinese Corners were born out of China’s commitment to strengthening cultural and educational ties with Nigeria.
“Twelve years ago, out of the cherishment for China-Nigeria friendly relations and the expectation for cultural exchanges between the two countries, the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and the FCT Secondary Education Board joined hands to establish the Chinese Corner as a unique platform for cultural and educational exchanges,” he said.
He noted that the initiative had grown into “a link connecting Chinese and Nigerian cultures, a bridge narrowing the hearts of young people from the two countries, and one of the most popular cultural check-in spots among teachers and students in Abuja.”
Yang assured that China would continue to promote cooperation in culture and education, adding, “Today, the inauguration of the Chinese Corner is not an end, but a new starting point for cultural exchanges between China and Nigeria.”
Also speaking, the Director/Secretary of the FCT Secondary Education Board, Dr. Muhammed Ladan, said the project was evidence of the strong ties between the two countries.
“The Chinese Corners aim not just to foster people-to-people exchanges, but also to provide resources for learning Mandarin and opportunities for scholarships in China. It is also a means of strengthening diplomatic relations through artistic collaboration,” he said.
Ladan recalled that the first Chinese Corner was set up in 2013 at GSS Garki, with more centres added in later years, including one at GSS Wuse Zone 3 in 2024.
He disclosed that two additional centres were being planned with the backing of Chinese companies in Nigeria.
The inclusion of Mandarin follows the Federal Government’s announcement earlier this month that it had completed a thorough review of the Basic and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum.
In a circular dated September 8, 2025, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council confirmed that the revised curriculum would be implemented from the 2025/2026 academic year.
Other international languages listed as optional subjects include French and Arabic.
Meanwhile, as part of its support for Chinese language education, the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria recently donated 15 sets of teaching materials and cultural books to Nigerian secondary schools.