UNIZIK Confucius Institute Reaches Global Top 30 in Chinese Bridge Competition for 13th Time

A student of the Confucius Institute at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Justina Uchechi Michael, has advanced to the Global Top 30 of the 19th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students.

The achievement came after 124 contestants from five continents competed in the 19th edition of the competition held from September 11 to 13, 2026.

Michael, 17, who bears the Chinese name Mai Yalan, represented Nigeria in the competition and distinguished herself through her Chinese language proficiency and stage performance.

After several rounds of competition involving Chinese listening, writing, speech and Chinese cultural talent performances, the UNIZIK Confucius Institute contestant successfully secured a place among the Global Top 30 and advanced to the next round.

Her achievement marks the 13th time since 2018 that a contestant trained by the Confucius Institute at UNIZIK has reached the Global Top 30 of the Chinese Bridge competition.

The feat further highlights the Institute’s record in Chinese language teaching and the development of outstanding contestants for the international competition.

Michael’s performance is particularly notable given the relatively short period she has spent learning Chinese.

While many contestants have studied Chinese for five or six years, and some have spent years studying or living in China, Michael began learning Chinese from scratch at the Confucius Institute at UNIZIK in March 2025, making her one of the contestants with the shortest Chinese-learning experience in this year’s competition.

In less than a year and a half, she progressed from a complete beginner to the champion of the Nigerian national competition and subsequently to a Global Top 30 contestant on the international stage of the Chinese Bridge competition.

From learning basic Chinese pronunciations and simple Chinese characters to expressing herself confidently in Chinese and showcasing her talents on an international stage, Michael’s rapid progress reflects her dedication and hard work, as well as the Confucius Institute at UNIZIK’s commitment to Chinese language education and the development of outstanding students.

Commenting on the achievement, the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Yu Zhangbao, disclosed that the 19th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign Secondary School Students is still underway.

He said that having successfully advanced to the Global Top 30, Michael would now face even stiffer competition in the next round.

“We wish her every success in the upcoming stages and hope she will go even further, achieve another outstanding result, and continue to showcase on the global ‘Chinese Bridge’ stage the enthusiasm and talent of young Nigerians in learning Chinese and discovering Chinese culture,” he stated.