By Progress Godfrey, Abuja
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, has said that the Chinese government is committed to strengthening ties with Nigeria.
Jianchun made this known in an opening remark in Abuja on Saturday, during the 2024 Chinese New Year Temple Fair in celebration of the new year.
Chinese New Year is a festival that marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. It is a time to pay respect to deities and ancestors, and also an occasion for feasting and visiting family members.
The Temple Fair featured several food stands with Chinese delicacies. Another side attraction was the colourful cultural dance display showcasing both the Nigerian and the Chinese cultures, as the crowd cheered to thrilling musical performances.
According to Jianchun, “The 2024 New Year Temple fair is the year of Dragon which symbolises a lot for both countries, China and Nigeria, going forward.
“The first word, D, means development and both countries believe in development for nations to thrive.”
He described the second R in Dragon as the revitalisation of the Chinese economy after the ravaging effects of COVID-19.
He said for a nation to make progress, development has to be achieved by both individuals and the society at large.
“A in the dragon will symbolise assistance and we want to reinstate our commitment toward supporting Nigeria.
“G in the dragon is for guidance and we believe that we have a lot we can learn from each other in order to build a community with shared future for mankind.
“O in the dragon is for opportunity, China is embarking on its way of modernisation and we are doing the rejuvenation of Chinese nation, Nigeria can also seize this opportunity to work together to build a shared community for both countries.
“N in the dragon symbolises nationalism which is a key for Nigeria’s unity, which admits its diverse ethnic group,” he said.
In his remark, the Director General (DG) of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Runsewe, thanked China for constantly projecting its rich culture, saying that Nigeria and China have many similarities.
“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,” he said.
He mentioned that Nigeria is leveraging its cultural potential to drive economic development, just like China, adding that both nations have a lot to learn and benefit from each other in the area of cultural exchanges.
“This is why we must strengthen our cultural ties with China so as to tap from their cultural expertise,” Runsewe said.