Twelve Years of Steel and Soul, A New Journey of China-Nigeria Unity Begins — Nigeria Yongxing Steel Company Successfully Holds Its 12th Anniversary Celebration Gala in 2025

Editor's Note:

On June 16, 2025, the night sky over Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria sparkled with starlight, while the Yongxing Steel Company’s premises shone brightly, radiating a festive atmosphere. Employees from both China and Nigeria gathered to celebrate the company’s remarkable twelve-year journey on African soil. With the theme “Twelve Years of Steel and Soul, A New Journey of China-Nigeria Unity Begins,” the evening gala featured vibrant performances and heartfelt tributes, It shows the twelve-year struggle and profound friendship forged through cultural integration among the "Yongxing people" in Nigeria.

A Passionate Opening Ignites the Night

At local time 7:30 PM on June 16, 2025, the anniversary gala commenced with the joyful beats of African drums. The opening dance, “Wakawaka,” performed by Nigerian employees, was full of vigor and vitality, igniting the crowd’s enthusiasm. Host Yang Ming passionately remarked, “This is not just a dance—it’s a symbol of Yongxing Nigeria’s fiery passion and boundless vitality!”

Leader delivered a speech: envisage the Future

Ms. Zhang Yanyan, Deputy General Manager of Nigeria Yongxing Steel Company, delivered an important speech. With heartfelt emotion, she looked back on the company’s twelve-year journey. Starting from a barren land, Yongxing Nigeria Company, with the firm belief of "taking root in Nigeria and striving to be a leader in the steel industry," has becomes a benchmark in Nigeria's steel sector and successfully expanded into diversified businesses such as welding electrodes, power plants, and new energy.

Over the past twelve years, the company’s core values of “simplicity, pragmatism, responsibility, and all-win” have been deeply ingrained in its development. Chinese and Nigerian employees have Unite with concerted efforts and nurture fruitful achievements with sweat. The company has innovatively launched Nigeria's "one-stop steel procurement" model, improved the logistics support system for employees, and actively fulfilled its social responsibilities. It has deepened China-Nigeria cooperation through actions such as drilling wells, building roads, establishing schools to support education, and hosting investment promotion conferences, thus winning praise from all parties.

Regards the current global economic pressure and fierce competition in the African market, Deputy General Manager Zhang emphasized that the far-sightedness of the group's leaders has made strategic arrangements for the continuous expansion of the African territory, setting the direction for the development of Nigeria Yongxing. She called on all employees to seize the golden period of the rapid development of the group and Nigeria Yongxing, practice the corporate culture, seize opportunities in challenges, and stand at the forefront of the industry.

Deputy General Manager Zhang pointed out that the 12th anniversary is a new starting point for Nigeria Yongxing. She advised all colleagues to be both "rooters" who are deeply engaged in Africa, promoting the industrialization process of Nigeria and Africa through the development of Nigeria Yongxing, and making the cooperative smiles of Chinese and Nigerian employees a vivid reflection of cross-cultural exchanges; and "navigators" who bravely explore new areas, embracing changes with an open and inclusive attitude, continuing the legend of Nigeria Yongxing on the African continent, and adding wonderful chapters to China-Nigeria cooperation.

Wonderful Programs, Sincere Performances, Jointly Building Dreams and Creating Greater Glory

The gala featured a variety of wonderful programs. The song Your Answer sung by Nigerian employees expressed the aspirations of Nigeria Yongxing people, and My Future Is Not a Dream by Yan Rong from the Purchasing Department winning the title of “Most Beautiful Dream-Chaser” with enthusiastic cheers from the entire audience. The dance Defedefe (meaning "happiness forever" in Yoruba) performed by Nigerian employees pushed the gala to a climax, it is the perfect integration of Chinese and Nigerian cultures.

The gala concluded with the passionate song Fly Higher. In a heartfelt farewell, the host said, "The twelve years of Nigeria Yongxing are a Chinese story written on the African land. May we, on this day next year, pledging with steel, promising with dreams!”

This celebration is not only a review of the past but also a declaration for the future. Nigeria Yongxing people will continue to write brilliant story on the African continent with a more high-spirited fighting spirit, contributing to China-Nigeria friendship and the construction of the "Belt and Road Initiative"!