Nigeria Content Online

High above the
bustling heat that characterises Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, a quiet
phenomenon is taking place. On May 24, 2010, the Korean Cultural Centre
celebrated its official opening.

According to its
director, Jeong Sun Suh, the centre is the first of its kind in Africa
and marks 30 years of diplomatic ties between the Nigerian and South
Korean governments.

“Our country
decided to establish this centre in Nigeria because it is a very
important country in West Africa,” said Mr. Suh. “The Korean government
wants to promote sports, culture, and tourism exchanges.”

The centre is
located on the second floor of the Rivers State Building in Abuja’s
Central Area, just across the street from the Ministry of Finance. It
is a vast labyrinth that occupies both wings of the floor with a
computer lab, a library, classrooms, a martial studio, and art and
photo galleries. Everywhere, there are flatscreen television sets (20
of them donated by the Korean electronics giant, Samsung) showing
Korean music videos, movies, and documentaries. In one wing, the centre
plays host to a collection of modern and ancient artwork, that is the
year long Korean Contemporary Pottery exhibition.

Anyone can sign up
for the centre’s language classes, take Taekwondo lessons, or stop by
the lending library for books in Korean and English. Twice a month, the
centre holds movie screenings of the latest Korean hits.

The initiative is
funded entirely by the South Korean government, which sees Nigeria as
an important ally. In his published remarks at the recent Korean
Culture Festival, Young-Kuk Park, Korean ambassador to Nigeria,
described the country as a “leading West African powerhouse with the
largest population in Africa.”

The complex is the
result of years of hard work in difficult circumstances, says Mr. Suh,
who arrived in Nigeria in September 2008. Though Korea has 15 cultural
centres around the world, the idea of opening one in Africa was so
unique that when the country’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
needed someone to head the centre, Mr. Suh was the only applicant for
the job.

“It was very
difficult; I had malaria three times,” he said, laughing. “And when I
was shipping materials [from Korea] it took five months just to pass
customs in Lagos. It was very expensive.”

However, the work
has paid off. At the centre’s opening ceremony, Nigeria’s Minister for
Culture and Tourism, Abubakar Sadiq A. Mohammed, made a special effort
to attend.

“The establishment
of cultural centres at home and abroad remains an effective means of
propagating and promoting the culture and image of a country outside
its shores,” said Sadiq in his remarks at the event. “I have no doubt
that the establishment of a Korean Cultural Centre in Nigeria would be
mutually beneficial to both countries.”

Expanding ties

Right now, most of
the contact between the two nations is on the football pitch. In
November, 2009, South Koreans turned out to watch their team compete in
the Federation of International Football Association’s (FIFA) Under-17
tournament, which was held in Nigeria. Later this month, Nigerians and
South Koreans are set to face off at the World Cup tournament in South
Africa. However, there are growing cultural ties between the two
nations and the centre is helping nurture them.

In July, 2009, the
Capital Voices of Abuja, a choral music group put together by the
Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) Council for Arts and Culture, went to
Korea to compete in the World Choir Championship. In December last
year, the continent saw its first West African Taekwondo Championships
with six countries competing. The centre hopes to make this an annual
event. It has also pledged training and equipment support for the
Nigeria Taekwondo Federation as it prepares for the London 2012
Olympics.

1,200 people
attended the centre’s first Korean Culture Festival, held at the
Sheraton in Abuja on May 26. The colourful event featured performances
by Korean and Nigerian traditional dancers, musicians, and a Taekwondo
troupe. For its part, the National Art Gallery in Abuja is mounting a
month-long showcase of art and cultural artefacts in Seoul until June
30.

This is only the
beginning, says the centre’s director, Mr. Suh. In time, he sees
cultural centres such as his own in countries across the continent.

“We will expand into South Africa and Eygpt,” he said. “So that we
can have a centre in the north, the centre, and the south [of the
continent]. This is the starting point.”