Nigeria Set to Begin Chinese Language Broadcast, Says Minister

Nigeria Set to Begin Chinese Language Broadcast, Says Minister

The Federal Government has announced plans to commence broadcasting in Mandarin as part of a broader strategy to expand Nigeria’s global media footprint and strengthen public communication.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in Abuja while receiving the management team of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms during a meeting focused on deepening institutional reforms and improving transparency across government establishments.

According to the minister, the new language service will operate from Abuja using upgraded transmission facilities and in partnership with a Chinese media organisation.

“In a short while, Nigeria will be able to broadcast even in Mandarin and in Chinese language from here, from Abuja,” Idris said, describing the initiative as a significant step in repositioning Nigeria’s international communication strategy.

The meeting also provided an avenue for both institutions to review ongoing reform programmes, including improvements in public financial management, digitisation of services, media literacy, archiving systems and the deployment of artificial intelligence in governance.

Idris stressed that reforms within the public service must go beyond policy documents and be clearly communicated to citizens.

“Where reforms are not properly understood, it creates a big problem of understanding for people and therefore the collaboration that we need to have between ourselves and this ministry is very, very important so that Nigerians understand that this is for the greater good of all of them,” he stated.

Highlighting the size of Nigeria’s public service structure, the minister noted that out of a population of over 230 million people, about five million are directly employed in the civil service. He explained that reform efforts are designed to positively impact the broader population by improving service delivery and institutional efficiency.

He also noted the need for attitudinal change within the system, recalling that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu renamed the ministry to emphasise national orientation and shared responsibility.

“There is nobody called Nigeria, and there is actually nobody called federal government. It’s all of us,” Idris said, urging citizens and public servants alike to take ownership of national development.

Addressing the growing threat of misinformation, particularly in the era of artificial intelligence, the minister warned about the dangers of deepfakes and digitally manipulated content.

“You’ll be sitting down here, somebody will present you as if you are in London or somewhere, and they will carry your head and put it on your body,” he remarked, illustrating the sophistication of modern misinformation tactics.

To counter the trend, Idris revealed that Nigeria has secured the hosting rights for a Category 2 UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Centre, scheduled to be inaugurated in Abuja in March.

The centre will be located at the National Open University of Nigeria and is expected to train media practitioners and members of the public on how to identify credible information in the digital space.

He further disclosed that key government media organisations, including the Nigerian Television Authority, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and Voice of Nigeria, are undergoing reforms aimed at modernising operations, improving content quality and aligning with global broadcasting standards.

Earlier, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi, described the bureau’s collaboration with the ministry as long-standing and strategic.

He explained that the National Strategy on Public Service Reforms is anchored on four pillars, namely governance environment, national development planning, digital public service management and citizen engagement.

Arabi said the bureau has organised extensive training programmes to equip government officials with skills in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, noting that the real challenge lies in ensuring effective usage.

“Technology, especially AI and blockchain, has been adopted for use by the federal government, but the key challenge is ensuring public servants know how to use it effectively to safeguard national interests and provide accurate information,” he said.

On financial reforms, the BPSR chief disclosed that biometric registration of civil servants has significantly curtailed the problem of ghost workers. He noted that about 1.9 million public servants across the country are now fully captured and tracked within the payroll system, enhancing transparency and accountability.

The planned Mandarin broadcast and broader reform agenda, officials say, are part of ongoing efforts to modernise governance, improve information management and project Nigeria more effectively on the global stage.