Nigeria and China have opened a new front in their bilateral relations, using film, television and literature to deepen cultural ties while creating new opportunities for their growing creative industries.
The development is significant for Nigeria, where the creative economy has emerged as an important source of employment, cultural influence and economic opportunity, particularly for young people. Nollywood also remains one of the country’s most recognisable cultural exports, giving Nigeria a platform to project its stories and identity to international audiences.
Against this backdrop, the signing of a strategic cooperation agreement between the China Movie Channel (CMC) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on Friday in Abuja is expected to give Nigerian and Chinese content producers greater opportunities to collaborate, exchange content and access new audiences.
The agreement, signed during the China–Nigeria Film and Literature Symposium at the China Cultural Centre, covers film co-productions, content exchange, professional training, technology transfer and wider distribution of creative works from both countries.
For Nigeria, the partnership could provide access to Chinese expertise, technology and a vast media market, while creating opportunities for Nigerian filmmakers, writers, broadcasters and young creatives to collaborate with their Chinese counterparts.
Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, said literature and cinema remained important expressions of human civilisation and powerful tools for promoting mutual understanding between nations.
He noted that both countries had rich literary and cinematic traditions, with Nigerian writers such as Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie enjoying growing readership in China, while Chinese literary and cinematic works continue to attract Nigerian audiences.
Yu said China produces more than 700 films annually and operates over 93,000 cinema screens, while Nigeria’s Nollywood produces more than 2,000 films each year.
He said the CMC-NTA agreement would provide a platform for creative professionals from both countries to tell their stories, exchange experiences and strengthen friendship between their peoples.
Representing the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Mukhtar Yawale Muhammad, said the partnership was in line with Nigeria’s efforts to unlock the potential of the creative and cultural industries as drivers of economic growth, job creation and national development.
He said the agreement would create opportunities for co-productions, skills development, knowledge sharing and greater international visibility for Nigerian creative talents.
NTA Director-General, Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, described the agreement as a new chapter in Nigeria-China relations, saying it would provide a platform for content co-production, programme exchange, professional training, technology transfer and wider distribution of Nigerian and Chinese creative works.
Dembos said the partnership would also enable filmmakers, writers, broadcasters and young creative talents to learn from one another, collaborate and reach new audiences.
He added that the initiative aligns with NTA’s transformation into a modern, digitally driven public broadcaster, with emphasis on quality productions, professional capacity and technological innovation.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Abuja Chapter, Arc. Chukwudi Eze, said cultural diplomacy was an important complement to political and economic relations.
He said books, films, poetry, theatre and other creative works allowed nations to understand one another beyond official engagements, helping to promote mutual respect and lasting relationships.
The symposium featured discussions on storytelling, film production and literary collaboration, as well as the screening of the Chinese action film Blades of the Guardians.
The initiative comes as Nigeria and China mark 55 years of diplomatic relations and seek to strengthen people-to-people exchanges under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.