By Gabriel Ameh
📍Abuja | Media360Impact Report
China Movie Channel (CMC) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) have signed a strategic partnership aimed at expanding film and television content exchange and strengthening cultural cooperation between Nigeria and China.
The agreement was signed on Friday at the China Cultural Centre in Abuja during the China-Nigeria Film and Literature Symposium, which brought together government officials, broadcasters, writers and creative industry practitioners from both countries.
The partnership is expected to provide Nigerian and Chinese audiences with greater access to film and television productions from both countries while creating more opportunities for collaboration among filmmakers, broadcasters, writers and other creative professionals.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, described the agreement as an important step towards deepening friendship and mutual understanding between the peoples of Nigeria and China.
Yu said film and literature remain powerful tools through which societies preserve their histories, express their values and share their experiences with audiences across borders.
He noted that Nigeria and China have rich literary traditions and vibrant film industries, with writers and filmmakers from both countries making significant contributions to global culture.
The ambassador also pointed to the growing popularity of Chinese films among Nigerian audiences and increasing interest in Nigerian productions in China as evidence of the potential for stronger cultural and creative exchanges.
According to him, the CMC-NTA agreement would provide an additional platform for expanding these exchanges while creating opportunities for professionals in the film and television industries to work together.
The Director-General of NTA, Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, described the partnership as an opportunity to translate the longstanding friendship between Nigeria and China into practical cooperation within the creative economy.
Dembos said the agreement would cover areas including content sharing, joint production, professional development and technological cooperation.
He expressed optimism that the partnership would benefit filmmakers, broadcasters, writers and emerging creative talents by facilitating knowledge exchange and opening access to new markets.
The NTA Director-General added that the collaboration aligns with the authority’s efforts to modernise its operations and strengthen its competitiveness as a public broadcaster in the digital era.
He urged both organisations to pursue concrete initiatives that would deliver measurable benefits to audiences and creative professionals in Nigeria and China.
Also speaking, Cui Binzhen, Editor-in-Chief of China Movie Channel, said the agreement would establish a framework for sustained interaction between the two broadcasting organisations.
Cui said the initiative was significant given the longstanding diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and China and the growing role of cultural exchange in strengthening bilateral relations.
He noted that CMC had extensive experience in promoting Chinese cinema internationally, having broadcast thousands of films and organised China Film Weeks in different countries.
According to him, the channel plans to use its partnership with NTA to explore stories that reflect the relationship between Nigeria and China while using cinema and television to promote greater cultural understanding.
The China-Nigeria Film and Literature Symposium also provided a platform for participants to examine the role of film and literature in reflecting social realities, preserving cultural identity and promoting dialogue between peoples.
The CMC-NTA partnership is expected to further strengthen creative and cultural ties between Nigeria and China while creating new avenues for content exchange, skills development and collaboration within both countries’ film and television industries.
