From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Encomiums have continued pouring for the Confucius Institute at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, for maintaining its lead as the best Chinese language and culture training school in Nigeria.
This time, Ms Michael -Praise Chinecherem, a third-year student of the Chinese Studies department, won the third position as well as the outstanding online personality award in the 2021 Chinese Bridge competition organised by the Centre for Language Education and Cooperation (formerly Hanban).
The nine -month global competition, Daily Sun learnt, involved 125 national champions coming from 101 countries with a total of 70,000 students participating in the national preliminaries of the competition.
Speaking on the development, Dr Anas Elochukwu of the Confucius Institute, Awka said Michael, the first student from that department to participate in the annual competition, represented Nigeria, having won the national championship organised by the Chinese Embassy for students of Nigerian universities in July 2021.
Elochukwu said that Michael was so good and scintillating during the contest that the Chinese referees of the competition tipped her to emerge African champion until her abrupt exit, which was caused by abysmal internet connection.
“The abysmal connection prevented her from progressing to compete for the African (continental) champion,” he sadly noted.
He disclosed that owing to her outstanding performance in the competition, she has been inundated with job offers by numerous Chinese firms based in Nigeria.
Prof. Charles Esimone , Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, who was elated at the feat, commended the Confucius Institute headed by Chief Prof. Yu Chukwudi Zhangbao (Ezi Oyi I of Unizik) for its role in producing the first generation of Chinese-speaking Nigerians.
On his own part, Chief Yu, who arrived in Nigeria three years ago, ascribed the achievements by the Institute during the past two-and-half years to the unwavering support of the vice chancellor.
Michael, in a brief chat, appreciated her teachers at the Institute and the university management for their encouragements so far. She said she intends to go to China next year for her post graduate studies.