By TAIYE OLAYEMI

Chinese national, Zheng Xiapeng, a chieftaincy title holder in Enugu State and Anambra, on Saturday expressed his love for Nigerian culture and cuisines.

Xiapeng during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of the ongoing International Arts and Craft Expo (INAC) in Abuja, said Nigerians are truly hospitable and friendly.

According to him, his favourite Nigerian cuisine is Eba with Edikang Ikong soup as well as local chicken sauce.

He said his love for Nigerian culture was instrumental to accepting two chieftaincy titles from Enugu State and Anambra.

He said that he was conferred with chieftaincy titles of Onodebeze 1 of Anambra in 2019 and Eze Okwe of Okwe kingdom of Ibagwa Nike in Enugu state in 2018.

“I love Nigeria so much, the cuisines, culture of respect and sense of dressing. I have been in Nigeria since eight years ago.

“I also love China but Nigeria is my second home as well as Ghana because I was also conferred with a chieftaincy title in 2020 in Ghana, as “Askore Nkosuo” in the Ashanti kingdom.

“I am looking at learning Igbo and Hausa languages very soon, I have been to over 14 states in Nigeria, like Ogun, Lagos, Kano, Ile-Ife and more “Nigerians are friendly, hospitable, hardworking and accommodating.

“Due to my love for Nigeria, I am currently responsible for the school fee of 15 children. Later on, I will do more by giving many more children full academic scholarship, this is because I realised children are the future of tomorrow,” he said.

Xiapeng hinted that plans were underway to further strengthen Nigerian and the Chinese cultural ties, as he was trying to harness the similarities in the two nation’s culture.

He said with this, some cultural exchange programmes would be organised engaging citizens of the two nations.

“I do not have plans of leaving Nigeria anytime soon,” he said. (NAN)

•PHOTO: Zheng Xiapeng, Chinese national who bagged two chieftaincy titles in Nigeria with dignitaries at the 16^th INAC

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