- Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai (right) and the Director-General, Voice of Nigeria, Jibrin Baba-Ndace, at the Chinese Embassy in Abuja
By Anthony Nwachukwu
In a significant milestone in Nigeria’s broadcasting history, the Voice of Nigeria (VON) is set to commence broadcasting in China’s official language, Mandarin.
The development aims to promote cultural exchange, enhance mutual understanding, and strengthen bilateral ties between Nigeria and China.
According to the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, this move will foster better understanding and promote cultural exchanges between the two nations.
“I believe that this inclusion of the Chinese language as the ninth language is going to promote further the civilisation exchanges between China and Nigeria,” Dunhai said.
For his part, the VON Director-General, Jibrin Baba-Ndace, emphasised the importance of creating narratives about one’s country, stating: “We need to be very intentional, unapologetic about sharing our own stories.”
According to him, “broadcasting in Mandarin will create opportunities for enhanced media cooperation between Nigeria and China.”
Meanwhile, the partnership is expected to help VON share Nigeria’s stories and experiences with Chinese listeners, promoting cultural exchanges between the two nations, even as VON continues to shape a positive narrative about Nigeria and its relations with China, Baba-Ndace added.
Nigeria and China share strong ties in trade, culture and investment, with this initiative, which is part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to foster stronger economic and cultural partnerships with China, underscoring the importance of this move.
