Mandarin has officially been included as one of the foreign languages to be taught in senior secondary schools across Nigeria, following a recent review of the national curriculum.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Dr Danlami Hayyo, Secretary of Education for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), during the commissioning of the 14th Chinese Corner at Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Abuja.
Dr Hayyo stated, “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.”
He added that the FCT had demonstrated foresight by introducing Mandarin early through the Chinese Corners initiative.
The Chinese Corner, an educational and cultural centre sponsored by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, forms part of the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts.
According to Hayyo, the newly inaugurated centre is the 14th of its kind in the FCT, with similar facilities now present in several secondary schools across the territory.
Speaking on behalf of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, Hayyo expressed gratitude to the Chinese government and its embassy in Nigeria for their continued support. He concluded his remarks with a Chinese proverb: “Hai nei cun zhiji, tianya ruo bi lin,” meaning, “A bosom friend brings distant lands near.”
