UNIZIK DEEPENING NIGERIA-CHINA EXCHANGE PARTNERSHIP
14 Nigerian Students arrive in China for Second Cohort of Landmark 2+2 Chinese Studies Programme
All Fourteen students for the second cohort of West Africa’s first “2+2” joint undergraduate programme in Chinese Studies have successfully arrived at Xiamen University, China.
The students, who have completed their registration at Xiamen University, will spend the next two years in China, marking another significant milestone in the growing educational partnership between Nigeria and China.
The “2+2” programme was established through an agreement signed in 2024 by Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Xiamen University and the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation under China’s Ministry of Education. It was officially launched in 2025, enabling selected Chinese Studies students of UNIZIK to complete their first two years in Nigeria and the final two years at Xiamen University.
The first cohort, comprising six students, travelled to China in 2025. With the arrival of the 14 students in the second cohort, the total number of UNIZIK students who have benefited from the programme has risen to 20.
The increase from six students in the inaugural cohort to 14 in the second cohort reflects the growing proficiency of UNIZIK students in the Chinese language, as well as the increasing popularity and impact of the programme.
UNIZIK has been at the forefront of Chinese language and cultural education in West Africa since September 2006, when it pioneered Chinese language education in the region. The University established its undergraduate Chinese Studies programme in 2013 and subsequently introduced the “2+2” joint degree pathway, creating a progressive model that connects language education, undergraduate training and international academic collaboration.
Chinese Director of the Confiucius Institute at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Yu Zhangbao said the initiative has also strengthened cultural understanding and people-to-people exchanges between Nigerian and Chinese youths, while providing Nigerian students with greater opportunities for advanced studies and international exposure.
He disclosed that the Chinese side currently provides funding for 15 students annually under the programme noting that during his visit to Xiamen University in June 2026, the seventh Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Ugochukwu Bond Staneley Anyaehie , who also serves as Chairman of the Governing Board of the Confucius Institute and its Nigerian Director, pledged to provide an additional 10 funded places annually from 2027.
If implemented, he said the commitment would raise the annual number of funded places to 25, thereby expanding access to the programme for more Nigerian students interested in Chinese Studies.
The Chinese Consulate-General in Lagos also played a significant role in facilitating the second cohort’s departure, providing professional guidance and assistance with visa applications and other necessary travel procedures.
Through the support of the Consulate-General and the continued commitment of the partner institutions, all 14 students successfully completed the necessary arrangements and travelled to China.
The institutions involved in the programme expressed appreciation to the Chinese Consulate-General in Lagos for its support and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the partnership, expanding educational opportunities and nurturing more talents to deepen China–Nigeria educational cooperation and people-to-people relations.
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