JUST IN: Nigeria Adds Chinese (Mandarin) to Senior Secondary School Syllabus
The Federal Government has approved the inclusion of Mandarin Chinese as one of the foreign/international languages available to students in Senior Secondary Schools across Nigeria, according to officials involved in the recent curriculum review.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Dr. Danlami Hayyo, Secretary of Education for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), during the inauguration of the 14th “Chinese Corner” at Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada in Abuja. The initiative forms part of a broader review of the Basic and Senior Secondary Education curricula that will take effect in the 2025/2026 academic session.
“In the recent review of our curriculum, the Chinese language has been selected as one of the international languages to offer in Senior Secondary Schools,” Dr. Hayyo said, praising the FCT’s early roll-out of Chinese Corners that have prepared some schools for the new option.
The “Chinese Corner” model — classroom spaces equipped with Chinese language and cultural learning materials sponsored by corporate and cultural partners — has been rolled out in a number of FCT schools as part of capacity-building and cultural-exchange efforts. Partners have also donated Chinese-language books and supported teacher training programmes, some of which included study visits for teachers.
Education stakeholders say Mandarin will likely be offered as an optional foreign language — alongside existing options such as French and Arabic — and that nationwide implementation will be phased. Details on teacher deployment, learning materials, and assessment have not yet been published in full and will depend on further directives from curriculum authorities.
What this means for students and parents
If your child is in senior secondary school, the new syllabus change could open additional pathways — from language proficiency and international-study opportunities to future employment in trade and diplomacy where Mandarin is an advantage. Parents and school administrators should watch for official circulars from the National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) or the FCT Education Secretariat for exact implementation timelines and registration requirements.
Background & context
The move reflects growing educational and cultural engagement between Nigeria and China, where recent donations of books and instructional sets by Chinese educational publishers have supported local Chinese language learning initiatives. In some Nigerian cities demand for Chinese-language lessons has been rising, motivated by student interest and professional opportunities.