CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS OF CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE AT NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA, 2008 – 2022

Abstract

Nigeria’s relation with China has grown to certain level of significant proportions in the last two decades. Besides economic cooperation in the areas of trade, foreign direct investment and loans, educational cooperation has formed an important aspect of this relationship framework. The importance of education to national survival and development cannot be over-emphasized as the progress of any nation is predicted on the quality of her education and manpower development. As important as educational aspect of relations with China is, and has grown, in Nigeria under the framework of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) it has received very little scholarly attention especially from international relations experts and international economic historians. Rather much scholarship has been concentrated on the economic-technological and political-diplomatic aspects of Nigeria-China relations. It is therefore this yearning gap that informed this study. Having adopted the constructivist theory as the most relevant frame of analysis, this study forages into the educational foundation of Nigeria-China relations with the Confucius Institute at Nnamdi Azikiwe University as a case study. This study is aimed at bringing to light the key number of challenges facing the Confucius Institute at Nnamdi Azikiwe University as well as the prospects. At the end, the study concludes by proffering some important recommendations that will be of immense help to the Institute. The study adopts the historical methodology in its analysis, and uses both secondary and primary sources of information.