A Chinese Woman Gets a Ceremonial Chieftancy in Nigeria and the Internet Goes Berserk

A well-known Nigerian chieftain in Lagos bestowed honorary chieftaincy titles on three foreign nationals and nine Nigerians earlier this month to commend them for their contributions to economic development in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole.

The story largely went unnoticed for weeks until pictures of Diana Chen, Managing Director of VAVA Group, a technology company based in Nigeria, began circulating on Instagram. Outrage soon followed:

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.