NAN Managing Director, Malam Ali Muhammad Ali (right), in a discussion with Xinhua News Agency Deputy President, Gui Tao (left), during a visit by the Chinese news agency’s delegation to NAN headquarters in Abuja.
By Sarafina Christopher
The News Agency of Nigeria has urged China’s Xinhua News Agency to reconsider its proposal for a joint African Media Summit to strengthen collaboration and promote African perspectives in global news coverage.
NAN Managing Director, Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, reiterated this when a Xinhua delegation, led by its Deputy President, Gui Tao, visited the agency on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ali said the proposed summit would provide a platform for African media organisations to examine how the continent reports its own stories, with support from Xinhua’s international experience and reach.
He urged Gui to convey the proposal to Xinhua’s leadership in Beijing for reconsideration, explaining that the initiative had been delayed because of earlier scheduling constraints.
“We want to have an African Media Summit with Xinhua, which is a major global news brand, to look at how Africans report themselves,” Ali said.
He noted that NAN and Xinhua had maintained a longstanding relationship spanning nearly four decades, with cooperation covering news exchange and capacity building.
He said NAN was also exploring the possibility of introducing Mandarin-language broadcasting to improve communication between Nigerians and Chinese nationals living and doing business in both countries.
According to him, the proposal will depend on available resources and the potential use of artificial intelligence to support the service.
Ali also said NAN was seeking government support to establish a bureau in Beijing, citing growing Nigeria-China engagement and increasing bilateral cooperation.
He said the agency operated 36 state offices, 109 district offices and 12 zonal offices across Nigeria, while its overseas presence had included bureaus in several locations.
Earlier, Gui described Nigeria as a key country in Africa because of its economic importance, geopolitical influence and democratic significance.
“I always believe that Nigeria is one of the most important African countries, both economically, geopolitically and also democratically,” he said.
Gui added that Xinhua was interested in strengthening its relationship with NAN through expanded news exchange, professional training and mutual visits.
“I wish that we can strengthen our cooperation in terms of the exchange of news stories and also in terms of capacity building,” he said.
He said the delegation’s visit was intended to deepen understanding of NAN’s operations and explore practical areas for closer cooperation.
Gui noted that Xinhua maintained a presence in sub-Saharan Africa, including an Abuja branch, reflecting the importance the agency attached to the region.(NAN)
