China Pushing for Stronger Ties with Nigeria, Says Envoy

China said it is not relenting in pushing for stronger ties with Nigeria.

The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, stated this at the New Year Celebration of China in Abuja at the weekend.

Jianchun while stating that the year is symbolised by the dragon sign, said it would create an opportunity for China and Nigeria to strengthen their relationship through shared ambitions.

He said: “I want to use the letters (dragon) to describe the relationship between our countries. ‘D’ is about development. The two countries are working to develop the nation. We believe that without development, we cannot achieve individual and societal progress.

“R is to revitalise, ‘A’ is for assistance, ‘G’ is for guidance, ‘O’ is for opportunity and ‘N’ is for nationalism,” he said that the two countries would continue to revitalise their economy, as well as open opportunities for development and work toward nationalism.

Also speaking at the event, the former Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, commended China for always projecting its rich culture, saying the country shares many things with Nigeria.

He said: Both China and Nigeria are culturally diverse nations. China has 56 official ethnic groups while Nigeria has close to 400 ethnic groups, each with its unique cultural peculiarities.”

Runsewe said Nigeria has a lot of historical and heritage sites that can be upgraded to serve as recreational, religious and commercial sites comparable to the Chinese Temple Fair.

He explained that: “This is why we must strengthen our cultural ties with China so as to tap from their cultural expertise.”

Chinese New Year 2024 will fall on Saturday, February 10, 2024, starting a year of the Wood Dragon. As a public holiday, Chinese people will get 8 days off from work from February 10 to February 17 in 2024.

Chinese New Year 2024 is a Year of the Dragon, more specifically, Wood Dragon, starting from February 10 2024, and lasting until January 28, 2025.

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

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