Feature: Ghanaian student relishes pride in studying Chinese language

Many Ghanaian students who studied in China have fond memories of the Asian economic giant, its people and language.

One such person is Nashiru Mahama, a young Ghanaian finance official, who studied in China for his master's degree, and revels in narrating the huge benefits he has derived from learning Chinese.

Mahama obtained a Chinese government scholarship to pursue further studies in 2011 but that decision was a very tough one for him to make.

He was however compelled to go to China for the program by his late uncle, despite having similar opportunities to study in universities in Britain.

After a back and forth discussion with his uncle, Mahama finally succumbed to pressure and flew to China to study in the high-status Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

"What my late uncle told me was that China is going to be the way tomorrow. It is very important and you would yield the benefits in the shortest possible time.

"No problem, uncle, thank you for the offer. I will take it as you wish," Mahama told a gathering of Chinese students in Accra recently.

True to his promise, Mahama sailed through the mandatory first year Chinese language study and was allowed to move on.

"Most of my friends dropped the Chinese language after the first year but I took it up till I finally graduated with a Masters in Finance. And that decision turned out to be the launch-pad for my future career and life."

Mahama, who works with the China-Africa Development Fund in Accra, said his mates who dropped the Chinese language in China are gallivanting around the streets of Accra looking for jobs up to now.

He said speaking basic Chinese language guaranteed one a job in Ghana, as the numerous Chinese companies looked for people who understood their language and could help them around.

"I never even spent a week staying at home when I got to Ghana. This is one of the important benefits of studying the language," he counseled the students at the launch of the Chinese Students Association of Ghana (CHISAG) at the University of Ghana, Legon.

"So, please take the study of the Chinese language very seriously; don't joke with it. It is very important. You might not have the chance to go to China to polish it up but you can do it here," Mahama stated.

This is largely true because several Chinese companies rely on Mahama to recruit trusted and competent local staff for them. Enditem