Nigeria: Chinese film festival opens in Lagos
The Chinese Consulate in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial center, kicked off the country’s first Chinese Film Festival on Monday.
The five-day festival aims to give Nigerians an insight into Chinese culture, history and society, with a view to fostering future collaboration and cultural exchange.
The first day of screenings attracted over 200 guests, including government officials, educators, students and business leaders.
In his opening speech, Yan Yuqing, Consul General of the Chinese Consulate in Lagos, emphasized that cinema is a unique bond that brings people together.
China’s film revenues are estimated to reach $13.2 billion by 2027, while Nigeria’s film industry is currently valued at $6.4 billion.
Lagos hosted a joint performance by China’s National Traditional Orchestra (CNTO) and Nigeria’s Huaxing Art Troupe to celebrate the two countries’ culture, while also welcoming China’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mao Yu.
The China National Traditional Orchestra is the traditional Chinese orchestra that celebrates China’s diverse traditions through artistic performances. It perpetuates China’s age-old musical culture and offers a colorful glimpse of Chinese heritage.
Nigeria’s Huaxing art troupe disseminates Chinese culture and promotes relations between Nigeria and China.
At the event, which took place in Lagos on Monday, the art troupe performed three great traditional Nigerian dances on stage for the first time.
« Let’s use music and dance to enhance mutual understanding between our two countries », said Jin Mingyu, Deputy Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, speaking on behalf of the Chinese Minister of Tourism and Culture.
Bilateral trade between the two countries has grown from around $300 million in the 1990s to over $20 billion in recent years.
Makafui TAMAKLOE
