The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, has called on Nigerian journalists to move beyond reporting events and become active interpreters of technology, policy and development for ordinary citizens.
Speaking at the China Insights and Experience-Sharing Forum for Outstanding Participants of China Seminars, held at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Abuja on Thursday, Ike said Nigeria must convert its vast human and natural resources into tangible benefits through reliable electricity, skills development, innovation and deliberate planning.
She said China’s experience offered valuable lessons not for wholesale adoption, but for careful adaptation to Nigeria’s realities.[gov]
Lessons from China
Ike said the training programme in Shenyang and Beijing exposed Nigerian participants to China’s approach to energy security, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, robotics and industrial development.
Visits to educational institutions and power facilities, she noted, showed how research, innovation and technical expertise can drive economic growth and improve citizens’ lives.
Her central message was that sustainable development cannot depend on natural resources alone. It requires knowledge, consistent investment in human capacity, technological innovation and long-term planning.
“Future economic development does not have to rely on proportionally increasing fossil-fuel consumption,” she said, describing how China is pursuing a more secure, efficient, low-carbon and sustainable energy system through energy efficiency, industrial restructuring and clean-energy development.
The NUJ FCT chairman said journalists have a special responsibility to explain emerging technologies, stimulate informed public debate and show how policies affect everyday Nigerians. She also stressed that the media must continue to promote accountability and ensure development initiatives deliver real results.
Ike added that international cooperation should extend beyond trade and technology to cultural exchange, professional interaction and people-to-people relationships.
She called for stronger collaboration between Nigerian and Chinese media professionals through training, knowledge-sharing and exchange programmes.
Her remarks align with the NUJ FCT Council’s ongoing engagement in Nigeria-China cultural cooperation, including the Ni Hao! China radio initiative, which promotes Chinese language learning, cultural understanding and constructive international engagement.
Ike commended the Chinese Cultural Centre, programme organisers and Chinese hosts for creating the learning platform, but warned that the programme’s value would be measured by what participants do after returning home.
“We must ensure that the knowledge we acquired does not end with the seminar,” she said. “We must share it with our colleagues, apply relevant lessons in our professional and national contexts, and sustain the relationships established during our time in China.”
She expressed optimism for deeper Nigeria-China collaboration in 2027, closing her address with: “Thank you, and Xièxiè!”
