By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The Federal Government has approved the inclusion of Chinese language (Mandarin) as one of the foreign languages to be taught in Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) under the newly reviewed national curriculum.
The announcement was made by the Education Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Dr. Danlami Hayyo, during the inauguration of the Chinese Corner at Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Abuja. The project was sponsored by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as part of its corporate social responsibility.
Dr. Hayyo noted that the FCT Education Board had already introduced Mandarin in some schools before the curriculum review, describing the move as visionary. According to him, Chinese is the most widely spoken language globally and has become the language of commerce, education, and tourism.
“Our decision to embrace Chinese education and culture is a wise step,” he said.
With the new centre in Tudun Wada, Abuja now has 14 Chinese Corners across secondary schools in the territory. Hayyo explained that these centres have strengthened educational and cultural ties between Nigeria and China.
