On Sept 9, 2013, Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, attended the opening ceremony of the Chinese Cultural Center in Nigeria, the 14th overseas cultural center established by China’s government.

The center was established according to the Agreement on Mutual Establishment of Cultural Centers between China and Federal Republic of Nigeria, signed by the two governments in Beijing on March 2, 2012. The center is situated in the capital, Abuja. It is equipped with multi-function halls, cultural experience spaces, galleries, classrooms and multimedia libraries, and can hold comprehensive, multiform and multi-function activities. It is the first Chinese Cultural Center to be established in sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st Century.

Ding Wei, deputy minister of the Ministry of Culture, said in a speech that the official operation of the Chinese Cultural Center in Nigeria follows the guideline of “deepening cultural cooperation and jointly promoting the development of the Nigerian Cultural Center and Chinese Cultural Center”, which was raised by President Xi and Nigerian President Jonathan. It surely will enhance the mutual understanding of the two country’s people, laying a foundation for the all-round friendly cooperation between China and Nigeria.

Chief Edem Duke, Minister of the Nigerian Culture and Tourism and National Orientation also stated that, “the establishment of the Chinese Cultural Center will provide the Nigerian people with a new platform to understand China, display China’s abundant cultural heritage and tourism resources, and convey reliable cultural information. It will attract the Nigerian public’s attention to Chinese culture and raise China’s influence in Nigeria.”