Chinese Company Starts to Build School in Nigeria

The Nigeria Co. Ltd. of SEPCOIII, a power construction company from east China's Shandong Province, has started to build a primary school in Irori Township in southwest Nigeria's Ogun State.

With an investment of about 670,000 U.S. dollars, the school, named China-Nigeria Friendship School, is planned to occupy 1 hectare with 10 classrooms and one playground for footballs and field events.

Fang Yibo, manager of the company, said at the ground-breaking ceremony for the school held on Saturday that the school is designed for 250 pupils dwelling around SEPCOIII's gas power station at Papalando, 70 km west of Lagos.

Fang said "with the completion of the first phase of SEPCOIII gas station at the end of May and the planning of the second phase of the project, we decide to build the school in return for having received full supports from the Ogun State and the local residents in the construction."

According to him, the school is to be set up within two months.

Guo Kun, China's consul-general in Lagos, said at the ceremony that the construction of the school marks new development of the Sino-Nigerian friendship.

He said that the project will not only benefit the local pupils, but also facilitate the exchanges between younger generations of the two countries.

Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel expressed his thanks to the Chinese company for the construction of the school, saying the people in Ogun will remember the day and will contribute more to the growth of the Nigerian-Chinese friendship.