By Mercy Peter
Nigeria and China have taken a significant step towards deepening cultural and creative cooperation following the signing of a strategic content exchange agreement between the China Movie Channel (CMC) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), aimed at expanding collaboration in film production, broadcasting, technology transfer and professional development.
The agreement was signed on Friday during the China–Nigeria Film and Literature Symposium held at the China Cultural Centre in Abuja, drawing senior government officials, diplomats, broadcasters, filmmakers, authors and other stakeholders from both countries.
The partnership is expected to enhance film co-productions, facilitate programme exchange, strengthen professional training, promote technology transfer and create wider opportunities for collaboration across the creative industries.
Speaking at the symposium, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, described literature and cinema as enduring pillars of human civilisation that preserve history, shape national identity and foster mutual understanding among peoples.
He noted that both China and Nigeria possess rich literary and cinematic traditions and have increasingly embraced each other’s creative works over the years.
According to the ambassador, celebrated Nigerian writers including Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, the late Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie have gained significant readership in China, while Chinese literary works are attracting growing audiences in Nigeria.
Highlighting the strengths of both nations’ film industries, Yu said China now produces more than 700 films annually and operates over 93,000 cinema screens, while Nigeria’s Nollywood remains the world’s second-largest film industry, producing over 2,000 films every year.
He said the newly signed cooperation agreement would provide a vital platform for strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between the peoples of both countries.
“The content exchange cooperation agreement between China Movie Channel and NTA will build a crucial platform for the people of both nations to enhance mutual understanding and friendship,” he said.
Yu added that the partnership would encourage writers, filmmakers and television professionals from both countries to jointly explore ways literature, film and television could better reflect contemporary realities while telling authentic national stories.
The ambassador also noted that the symposium coincided with the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and China, describing the event as another demonstration of both countries’ commitment to implementing the outcomes of the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit and advancing people-to-people exchanges under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Dr. Mukhtar Yawale Muhammad, described the CMC-NTA partnership as a timely initiative that would unlock fresh opportunities for co-productions, skills acquisition, knowledge exchange and international exposure for creative talents from both countries.
He said the collaboration aligns with Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to position the creative and cultural industries as major contributors to economic growth, employment generation and national development.
“As Nigeria continues to implement policies aimed at unlocking the immense potential of the creative and cultural industries as drivers of economic growth, job creation and national development, partnerships such as this are both timely and invaluable,” he said.
Muhammad described the symposium as another reflection of the longstanding friendship between Nigeria and China and their shared commitment to cultural diplomacy.
He commended China’s remarkable achievements in education, infrastructure development, technological innovation and poverty reduction, noting that numerous Nigerian government officials and professionals have benefited from Chinese-sponsored scholarships, capacity-building initiatives and cultural exchange programmes.
“We express our sincere appreciation to the Government and people of the People’s Republic of China and to President Xi Jinping for their steadfast commitment to international cooperation and cultural exchanges that continue to strengthen China-Nigeria bilateral relations,” he said.
Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, said the agreement marks the beginning of a new phase in Nigeria-China relations founded on friendship, mutual respect and shared aspirations.
According to him, the strategic partnership will provide a robust framework for content co-production, programme exchange, technology transfer, professional training and broader distribution of Nigerian and Chinese creative productions.
“The CMC-NTA Strategic Cooperation Agreement will provide a strong platform for content co-production, programme exchange, professional training, technology transfer and the wider distribution of Nigerian and Chinese creative works,” Dembos said.
He added that the collaboration would create new opportunities for filmmakers, writers, broadcasters and emerging creative talents to acquire new skills, collaborate on international projects and reach wider audiences.
The NTA Director-General further stated that the partnership aligns with the authority’s ongoing transformation into a modern, digitally driven public broadcaster and expressed confidence that it would deliver tangible results through high-quality joint productions, enhanced professional capacity and technological innovation.
Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Abuja Chapter, Arc. Chukwudi Eze, also underscored the importance of literature and film in preserving cultural heritage, shaping national identity and promoting dialogue among nations.
He described cultural diplomacy as being equally important as political and economic diplomacy, noting that books, films, theatre, poetry and other creative expressions help nations understand one another beyond political narratives and statistics.
Eze commended the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria for sponsoring two ANA members—Prof. Razinat Mohammed and Prof. Emeka Aniagolu—on a literary and cultural exchange visit to China, describing the initiative as another milestone in strengthening literary cooperation between both countries.
The symposium featured panel discussions on storytelling, filmmaking and literary collaboration, while participants also watched the Chinese action film Blades of the Guardians as part of the cultural exchange programme.
