48 UNIZIK Students Get Chinese Scholarships Awka – Forty -eight students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Awka, have been awarded scholarships for different courses on the bill of the Peoples Republic of China. The scholarships, which have become a yearly gesture by China, were handed over to the students by the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Zhou Pingjian at the auditorium of the University in a colourful ceremony on Wednesday.

Speaking at the occasion, Pingjian said education remained the bedrock of China’s development and he felt that extending a helping hand to indigent students will go a long way to assist them actualize their dreams. According to him, China budgets four percent of its Gross Domestic Product to education and that made the literacy level of that country to jump from 80 per cent at its formation in 1949 to three per cent presently. Pingjian said: “Education is the key element in China’s development. In 1949 illiteracy level was 80%. Now, it is under three per cent. This is because we give priority to education. We respect teachers and value education”.

He added that the scholarship is part of commemoration of October which is a special month for both China and Nigeria which began their life that month and also the month of the birth of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Joseph Eberendu Ahaneku. He described UNIZIK as African champion when it comes to learning of Chinese language and culture through the Confucius Institute. In his speech, Ahaneku said the Chinese ambassador awarded the scholarship to demonstrate that money cannot be a barrier to students acquiring education.

He commended the ambassador who he said is dear not just to Nigeria and Africa but to UNIZIK. He recalled that last year, China awarded scholarships to 47 students and this year 48 students are beneficiaries. Ahaneku noted that the scheme as a reminder of China’s relationship with UNIZK. According to him, the population of Confucius Institute has grown so much that now a lot of students are trying to excel in the study of Chinese language and culture