Janet Samuel, Abuja
To mark the United Nations International Chinese Language Day,the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria joined the rest of the world to celebrate the 2024 international language Day
The international language day which is observed annually on April 20th was established by the United Nations in 2010, seeking to celebrate cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organization.
Speaking at the event at the China Cultural Centre in Abuja, the Cultural Counselor of the Chinese Embassy and Director of China Cultural Center, Li Xuda noted that over 1billion people speak Chinese as their first language, almost in every country around the world.
The cultural Counselor said, 2024 witnesses the launching of the 15th International Chinese Language Day, adding that in Nigeria, this year’s celebration is jointly held by the Chinese Embassy and the China Cultural Centre, under the guidance of the Center for Language Education Cooperation and the Chinese Plus, With the aim to promote cultural diversity.
“We are also delighted to see that in recent years, there has been a growing interest in learning Chinese in Nigeria. More and more Nigerians, especially those high school students and college students, start to learn Chinese language and its rich culture. Until now, we have established two Confucius Institutes, one is at Lagos University, another is at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
He added that, ” Next step, we will work with more Nigerian universities like ABU, University of Abuja, to explore the possibility of establishing a Confucius Institute, Noting that a dozen of Chinese language learning centers and Chinese language class have already realized the dreams of many Nigerians to learn Chinese. For example, the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria have been teaching Chinese over 10 years since its establishment in 2013. Many friends living or working in Abuja find their chances to learn Chinese here in our cultural center”.
Xuda who maintained that, Language is a great creation of mankind, explained that It witnesses the evolution and development of human civilization.
” In my eyes, Nigeria is the cradle of African Civilization with about 250 ethnic groups and 500 languages, including Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba. While we celebrate “International Chinese Language Day'”, never forget to celebrate Nigeria’s amazing languages, which are definitely important parts of world culture”, he said.
The Director concluded that,” i just want to say: Our Language, Our Pride! Let’s join hands to celebrate our languages together, work together to realize our Chinese Dream and Nigerian Dream, which are dreams of peace, development and win-win cooperation!
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Art,Culture and Creative Economy, James Sule who acknowledged the role of language as a tool for sharing stories, traditions, and dreams, mentioned the beauty of the Chinese language and the rich tapestry of Nigerian languages
Sule, who is of the believe that learning each other’s languages opens doors to new cultures and ways of thinking, emphasized on the importance of multilingualism in fostering understanding and unity between nation.
He urged Nigerians to embrace the study of all languages and become ambassadors for cultural understanding, reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to support every initiative to promote Chinese culture in Nigeria.
In his goodwill message, the Director General, National Gallery of Art, Muhammed Sule, congratulated the Chinese for the celebration of this day, said Chinese has a diplomatic ties with Nigeria and as partner in progress, Nigeria needs to leverage in terms of cultural exchange and learning their language to have cultural balance.
He urged the Federal Govt to celebrate various languages in Nigeria and also include the Nigeria languages in the school curriculum for the students to learn from their young age.
In a remark, the Vice Chairman of Nigeria-China Business Council, High Chief Mike Ugwu, who was delighted on the celebration of the day, highlighted the significance of the day, saying Speaking each other’s languages promote love and increase culture exchange.
