China celebrates new year in Abuja, vows to strengthen ties with Nigeria

The Chinese community in Nigeria marked the new year in Abuja on Saturday with a vow to strengthen China’s ties with Nigeria.

Speaking at the event at the Chinese Cultural Centre, the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, said the 2024 Chinese New Year is the year of the dragon.

He said the year, symbolised by the dragon sign, would create an opportunity for China and Nigeria to consolidate their relationship through shared ambitions.

“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 can’t achieve individual and societal progress.

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“The second letter which is ‘R’ is to revitalise. After COVID-19, we have worked hard to revitalise our economic sectors.

“‘A’ is for assistance. Nigeria is a giant in Africa and China is number one in Asia. The two nations can assist each other to move forward to achieve more progress and development.

“‘G’ is for guidance. I want to let you know that the Chinese president has an initiative that can help humankind. This is not only for China, I believe it’s good for Nigeria and the whole world. If all nations work together to build a community…so that we can reject war, violence and crisis.

“‘O’ is for opportunity. I hope that in the year of Dragon, we will have a lot of opportunities. We are working with Nigeria on how we can find an opportunity to move forward.

“The last letter ‘N’ is for Nationalism. How can we achieve national identity? Just like Nigeria, we are emphasising the need for nationalism. We have more than 56 ethnic groups and I want to let you know that nationalism is very important for the nation to develop and make progress,” the Chinese envoy said.

Speaking at the event, the 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.

“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.

Runsewe said just like China, Nigeria is harnessing its cultural potential to drive the process of her economic development.

He said both nations have a lot to learn and benefit from each other in the area of cultural exchanges.

He 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.

“This is why we must strengthen our cultural ties with China so as to tap from their cultural expertise,” Runsewe said.

The Chinese Lunar New Year begins on February 10, 2024. The new year will start on the new moon day of the first Chinese lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar system. The Year of the Wood Dragon will conclude on January 28th, 2025.

According to the Chinese zodiac, the Dragon is the most powerful and auspicious animal, representing strength, wisdom, luck and prosperity.