A total of 40 officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) were among the 552 students of the Confucius Institute of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), who were awarded certificates for proficiency in Chinese Language on Tuesday in Lagos.
The officers had undergone the course alongside 24 staff of the university and other members of the public.
Twenty-four out of the graduating students were awarded scholarship to further their studies in Chinese language.
Controller of Immigration, Lagos Zone, Helen Onwuzulike, told NAN on the sidelines of the graduation ceremony that interactions between NIS and other countries had increased significantly, adding that this explained the need to learn major foreign languages.
Onwuzulike said: “Right now, our officers are being sent on language courses as this has become imperative because of the current global trend in immigration.
“This is aimed at enhancing our duties, especially with the influx of foreigners into our country.
“Currently, we are wooing a lot of foreigners to Nigeria for investment purposes and so it is part of our ease-of-doing-business arrangements such that when visitors come into the country, they feel welcomed.”
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Management Services, Prof. Folashade Ogunsola, said the university would continue to make its students globally competitive through its various programmes.
According to Ogunsola, the vision of the university is to ensure that students and other members of the public who participate in its programmes have an edge over others and become trailblazers in their respective fields of endeavour.
The Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute, Yong Jing Wang, also told NAN that the scholarship awardees would depart for China in September.
“It is also our hope that the rate of enrolment into this institute will continue to grow with each passing year,” Wang said.
