Emmanuel Emeka
The 2025 China-Nigeria Chinese and English Singing Competition held on Sunday in Abuja brought together music lovers, diplomats, and cultural enthusiasts in a colourful display of friendship and artistic exchange between both countries.
The event, which took place at the China Cultural Center in Nigeria, was jointly hosted by the China Cultural Center and the China General Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria, with support from the Eighteenth Engineering Company International Limited.
Speaking at the event, Cultural Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Director of the China Cultural Center, Mr. Yang Jianxing, said the competition symbolized the deep cultural ties and growing friendship between China and Nigeria.
Mr. Yang noted that music has the power to bridge cultures and promote understanding between peoples, adding that both China and Nigeria share a rich musical heritage.
“Music since borders and some is a bridge connecting cars, Chinese traditional folk songs and modern folk music, and body with a grandeur of China’s two modern rivers, the ancient river and yellow river. And the gentle beauty of loving streets, Nigeria, and the music capital of Africa, both the globally popular Afro beach rhythm, and in traditional folk music contains the cultural cause of various ethnic groups, in Kalud,” he stated.
He described the competition as more than just a contest, saying it represented a “profound dialogue between Chinese and African cultures, and a testament to a friendship that transcends mountains and seas.”
“Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 54 years ago, China and Nigeria have remained good brothers who respect each other and treat each other as coals and good partners who seek mutual benefit and living development,” he said.
Mr. Yang emphasized that cultural exchange plays a crucial role in strengthening the relationship between both countries, adding that the singing competition reflects the vision of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s people-to-people exchange partnership action.
“Today’s event is also a vivid manifestation of the people-to-people exchange partnership action proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, during the pandemic of the Forum on China Corporation last year, and will play an important role in consolidating the public opinion foundation of the China period of comprehensive strategic partnership,” he said.
To the contestants, Mr. Yang commended their performances, saying, “Dear contestants, standing on this final stage today, each and every one of you is a winner. Regardless of the final result, over the past few days, you have used your sincere emotions and would be voices to express your love for life and your cherishment of friendship, allowing us to feel the joy of close times between the people of our two countries through the UN, not of music.”
He encouraged participants to continue to serve as ambassadors of cultural exchange between both nations. “Competition cherish this gathering through song and continue to actively serve as ambassadors and ambassadors for cultural exchange into China and Nigeria, and bridges for the spread of friendship,” he added.
Also speaking, President of the China Alumni Association of Nigeria and President of the Society of Nigerian Artists, Mr. Muhammad Sulaiman, praised the strong cultural collaboration between both countries.
“I am a witness that we have been informed between China and Nigeria, and this alternately has been very responsible for those type of partnerships. And as we enjoy the very hard work that we have been putting on, these lists also understand that this is a profound way of cultural exchange,” he said.
He further appreciated the China Cultural Center for promoting mutual understanding through arts and music, noting that such initiatives have strengthened cooperation between the two nations.
“Please, I would like to appeal that the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria continues to do a collaboration with us, and perhaps maybe in one day we will see that it’s not just English songs that we hear, that the whole thing of Nigeria language is also the whole thing we get in, because it ties us more together,” he said.
Winners emerged in both Chinese and English singing categories.
Chinese Category:
1st – Glory Livingston
2nd – James Augustine, Onyinye Chioma Ruth
3rd – Yang Xin, Shen Lili, Zhu Xiang Yang
English Category:
1st – Zhang Ji
2nd – Lu Yongbin, Wang Jiayi
3rd – Liuyiming, Ekpety Edima, Igwe Okezie
The 2025 China-Nigeria Singing Competition highlighted how cultural collaboration continues to foster friendship, mutual respect, and understanding between the people of China and Nigeria.
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