By Bob MajiriOghene Etemiku, Alltimepost.com Abuja Correspondent
Abuja, Nigeria – Cui Jianchun, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria said at the weekend, that China has decided to donate million doses of COVID-19 Vaccines to Nigeria, with the initial delivery of 500,000, with the cooperation of the Nigerian government.
Mr. Jianchun disclosed this to newsmen at the 4th Edition of the China-Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Table Tennis tournament held at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Abuja, Nigeria.
“This Covid 19 challenge is a very difficult time where everyone is struggling. We are therefore trying to see how we can all come together, using the Chinese National Sport, Table Tennis, to bring everyone together to defeat the challenges that the Covid 19 pandemic has brought.
“We are also thinking of bringing the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles, to play in China. I am working seriously on that agenda. There is a need for both our countries to deepen this relationship.
“The Chinese Central government has decided that in the first instance, we will deliver first batch of 500,000 doses of the Covid 19 to Nigeria, and by the end of this year millions of doses will be provided by China. We are only just waiting for the response from the Nigerian government,” Mr Jianchun said.
The China-Nigeria Union of Journalists FCT Table Tennis tournament is an annual cultural event sponsored by the Chinese government, and held at the Chinese Cultural centre in Abuja.
This year, Nigerian Journalists in Abuja competed with Chinese players to battle for prizes, and provided an opportunity for friendship, cooperation and partnership for both sides.
Even though the event did not hold in 2020 because of Covid 19 concerns, this year’s was held within the Chinese Cultural Centre with strict observance of the non-pharmaceutical protocols put in place by the WHO.
“There is a need for both Nigeria and China to use sports to deepen cultural, economic and political relations. China has challenges like all other nations, but we have achieved a lot to surmount these challenges. We encourage these interactions so we can learn from each other.”
Emmanuel Ogbechie, FCT NUJ Chairman said that holding the annual Table Tennis Tournament in spite of the Covid 19 pandemic speaks to human progress in the face of difficult challenges.
“We owe the success of this cultural programme to the Chinese government. Today’s event opens up the space for us to interact with our Chinese friends. We will continue to look to partner with China beyond just sports and cultural exchanges to the capacity building of our colleagues,” he said.
Li Xuda, Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy and director of China Cultural Centre in Nigeria told journalists that the table tennis tournament proved to be a good way to build bilateral relations.
“We are happy at the effort put in by our Nigerian friends in the media to make this tournament a huge success. We are happy to work with the NUJ in the FCT to deepen cultural and bilateral ties, and promote friendship between our countries,” Mr Li said.
Chinese cultural centre was established in 2013. The Abuja centre is the 14th Chinese cultural centre in the world, to promote the rich cultural heritages of Nigeria and China, and to showcase Chinese culture to Nigeria.
