The Chinese language, Mandarin, has been officially added to the senior secondary school curriculum in Nigeria following a recent review of the national curriculum.
The Secretary of Education for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Danlami Hayyo, made this known on Tuesday during the inauguration of the 14th Chinese Corner at Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Abuja.
Dr. Hayyo explained that the inclusion of Mandarin reflects the Federal Government’s vision for international education. He noted that the FCT had earlier introduced the language in some schools through Chinese Corners, describing Mandarin as a language of commerce, education, and tourism, with growing global significance.
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The Chinese Corner initiative, sponsored by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), serves as an educational and cultural hub. According to Hayyo, the FCT now has 14 such centres in secondary schools, with teachers also benefiting from training and capacity-building programmes in China.
Speaking on behalf of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, Hayyo commended the Chinese government and its embassy in Nigeria for their consistent support, adding that the initiative has fostered cultural exchange and created opportunities for Nigerian students to further their studies in China.
Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Yang Jianxing, described the Chinese Corners as bridges linking the cultures of both countries. He pledged continued support for education and cultural cooperation to strengthen China–Nigeria relations.
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Director and Secretary of the FCT Secondary Education Board, Dr. Muhammed Ladan, noted that the centres not only provide resources for learning Mandarin but also offer scholarship opportunities for Nigerian students. He recalled that the first Chinese Corner was established in 2013, with more centres planned in the coming years.
The inclusion of Mandarin comes after the Federal Government’s revision of the Basic and Senior Secondary Education Curriculum earlier this month. The Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council confirmed that the revised curriculum will be implemented from the 2025/2026 academic session.
Other international languages listed in the curriculum as optional subjects include French and Arabic.
