China to Support Nigerian Cultural Academy with Technology
The Chinese Government has announced its support for the Nigerian Academy for Cultural Studies (NACUS), which was established by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO).
The support will focus on the newly introduced course in cultural technology.
This commitment was made by LI Xuda, Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria and Director of the China Cultural Center, during a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
He was meeting with Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, the Executive Secretary/CEO of NICO, to explore potential areas of collaboration.
Counselor LI Xuda highlighted the Chinese government’s readiness to partner with NACUS and emphasized the importance of understanding Nigerian culture.
He noted that culture is fundamental to China’s social progress and national development and stressed the need for Chinese companies and cultural organizations to contribute to Nigeria through technology transfers.
NACUS, recently established by NICO, plans to set up campuses across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The Institute’s management has requested state governors from Kwara (North-Central), Ogun (South-West), Adamawa (North-East), Katsina (North-West), Imo (South-East), and Cross River (South-South) to provide suitable structures for these campuses.
The Cultural Technology department at NACUS will focus on utilizing Nigeria’s natural resources to produce household items through technology, aiming to convert raw materials into products commonly used by Nigerians.
Earlier, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye had sought support from the Chinese government to enhance Nigeria’s ability to transform its abundant raw materials into finished products.
He emphasized that technology is crucial for national self-reliance, noting that NACUS, the recently established Monotechnic, aims at having a powerful and resourceful Cultural Technology Department that is dedicated to research as well as developing household materials domestically, stressing that Nigeria has to think out of the box to bring down importation that hugely takes humongous foreign exchange with the desired need to bring down the pressure, he concluded.
Caleb Nor
Media Asst.-ES
NICO, Abuja