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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

Nigerian student wins global Chinese proficiency prize

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Faith Emmanuel, a student from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, won the Global Third Prize at the 25th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition in China.
  • Competing against 157 students from 138 countries, Emmanuel achieved this despite learning Chinese for less than 1.5 years, while many others had studied for much longer.
  • Her achievement highlights the determination of Nigerian youth and adds to the Confucius Institute at UNIZIK's record of success in the competition.

Faith Emmanuel, a student at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), has achieved a significant international honor by winning the Global Third Prize at the 25th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition. The event, held in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, saw Emmanuel compete against 157 contestants from 138 countries.

Emmanuel's accomplishment is particularly remarkable given her relatively short learning period. She began studying Chinese in March 2025, meaning she had less than one-and-a-half years of experience. This contrasts sharply with many other contestants who had studied the language for five to six years, and some for as long as 15 years. Many also had prior experience living or studying in China.

Faith Mba Emmanuel (Chinese name: Lu Xingyao), a student of the Confucius Institute at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), who stood out among 157 contestants from 138 countries to win the Global Third Prize.

— Chinese Embassy in NigeriaAnnouncing Faith Emmanuel's achievement.

The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria congratulated Emmanuel, calling her an "outstanding Nigerian youth." Her success is a testament to her passion for the Chinese language, persistent hard work, and confident stage presence, according to UNIZIK. She is the 12th contestant from the UNIZIK Confucius Institute to reach the competition's Global Top 30 since 2018.

Qin Fangfang of the Confucius Institute at Nnamdi Azikiwe University described Emmanuel's journey as a "vivid reflection of the determination of Nigerian youth to pursue their dreams and embrace challenges." The "Chinese Bridge" competition aims to foster Chinese language proficiency and cultural understanding among foreign college students. The UNIZIK Confucius Institute has a strong track record in this competition, with its contestants having won multiple African championships and global prizes.

Faith Mba Emmanuel’s journey is not only a story of courage, perseverance and diligence, but also a vivid reflection of the determination of Nigerian youth to pursue their dreams and embrace challenges.

— Qin FangfangCommenting on the significance of Emmanuel's achievement for Nigerian youth.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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