In the eyes of Nigerian movie-goer Saminu Alhassan Usman, Chinese movies are all about kungfu, with simple plots and dazzling stunts and action sequences. However, he was curious about the life of the average person in the world's most populous country, especially since only topics relating to politics and the economy in China get exposure in his local media.

Before coming to Beijing, around 10,000 km from his home, Usman, 35, worked for Freedom Radio as a political and social reporter in Jigawa State in north Nigeria. Under an exchange agreement between the two countries, Usman has worked at the Hausa Department of China Radio International (CRI) since September 2012.

Besides Nigerian official language English, Usman also speaks Hausa when he is at home in Kano, the country's second largest city and the business hub of north Nigeria. Currently, some 50 million people speak Hausa, one of the most widely spoken languages in West Africa, Central Africa, and northwest Sudan.

Debut of the voice actor

For Usman, his job in Beijing is similar to his previous one back home: He conducts interviews, records audio and writes reports. He also proofreads stories in Hausa for his Chinese colleagues.

"Doing some voice acting for Beijing Love Story, the first Chinese domestic TV drama in Hausa, was the most interesting and challenging part of my job," Usman told ChinAfrica.

In 2011, the first Swahili-dubbed Chinese domestic TV series A Beautiful Daughter-in-Law Era was aired in Tanzania starting November 23, attracting a large audience and positive reviews. As a result, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television - now known as the State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television - launched a Chinese TV drama export project targeting African audiences at the end of 2012. CRI, which broadcasts in 61 languages worldwide, was tasked with producing the translations.

The 39-episode Beijing Love Story, shot in 2010 and aired across China in 2012, depicts young people struggling to balance their work and life, friends and lovers in the big city. The preparation for the Hausa version started at the beginning of 2013.

CRI held auditions for leading voice actors on March 20-21 in Abuja, attracting 20 local professionals across Nigeria. Finally, six were chosen to come to Beijing, joining the Hausa department staff for the work in mid-April. This is the first time that a Sino-Nigerian cultural exchange has invited Hausa-speaking actors and actresses to China to dub Chinese TV series.

"A romantic plot and ordinary people's life stories were very different from what we had seen in the Chinese kungfu movies we were used to. My fellow countrymen would love it," Usman commented.

The most challenging part was making the translated scripts match up with the video. The dialogues in Chinese were shorter and faster than in Hausa; sometimes with a lot of idioms or puns. "I had to figure out the original meanings and then cut down the words used," he explained.

Fortunately, his hard work paid off. Usman's voice acting for Andy, a handsome cynicist from a rich family with a fragile heart, received high praise from his colleagues. His work went on to get him picked by the director for a role voicing a support actor in A Beautiful Daughter-in-Law Era.

"A shift from the martial arts world to social life on the ground allows me to see China from a different angle," Usman noted. "I'm looking forward to more Chinese TV series, especially comedy that can reach African audiences."

Cultural localization

Usman's voice spread across the country when the Hausa version of Beijing Love Story premiered on the Nigerian Television Authority station on September 18.

"It is easier for local audiences to understand than foreign TV dramas with English subtitles," Usman said. "I'm proud to do voice acting work, and my family is proud of me too."

According to Usman, culture is one of the most significant factors in global development. The role of culture in a nation's development can easily be seen in all social and economic ramifications. "Take for instance the role of culture in promoting regional development, which we see in motion here in China, it is obviously one of the factors that lead to increased attractiveness of the nation for tourism activities and international investment," he said. "Clearly, this alone should be a great motivation for taking cultural exchange and promotion with all seriousness."

China is one of the most earnest nations in preserving and promoting its culture globally. It is worth mentioning that when it comes to all levels of international relations, full understanding of cultural diversity plays a major role in attaining success.

It is also an avenue for development based on knowledge, creativity and tolerance, he said.

"Moreover, if we consider culture as one of the necessary foundations of building a wise and sophisticated society, it is clearly possible to say that investments in culture and promoting it is a duty worth supporting," he added.

Living in Beijing for more than a year, Usman has adapted himself to the local life, where social values and cultural dynamics are similar to his home country, but the history, politics and economy are totally different.

"China has been in the limelight since 2000. I think the Chinese Government is working hard to achieve development for the country and create good living conditions for the people. I really respect that," Usman said.

"People here who came from the one-child policy might not be as easy-going as my peers from bigger families," said Usman, whose family included 14 siblings. "But the love we have for our families is the same."

According to the agreement between the two countries, the Nigeria Cultural Center was built in Beijing in May 2012, becoming the first African culture center in China. The first Nigerian Cultural Week kicked off in Beijing in December 2012. The equivalent China Cultural Center in Nigeria was opened in Abuja on September 18 in 2013.

Usman participated in the second Nigerian Cultural Week in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on October 14-18. In addition to indigenous dances, the Western African country also showcased its handicrafts and local delicacies.

"We started to get to know about China through the China Cultural Center and the Confucius Institute. Similarly, I hope that the Nigeria Cultural Center and Nigeria Cultural Week will help more Chinese people know about my country," Usman said. "For Chinese people, visiting Nigeria is like an adventure. We have more than 500 dialects and various cultural events all year round. I believe that continuous interpersonal exchanges can definitely benefit both countries."

"Taking China as a role model, one can easily see how cultural promotion helps in preserving its national identity, promoting cooperation and human communication, paving ways of realizing policies that support gender equality and social solidarity, as well as reducing disproportions of personal development of citizens," he said.

"It is hoped that activities related to dissemination of culture through films, dramas and other means should be reciprocal, that is to say African nations lagging behind in this regard should also sit up and develop a keener sense of urgency in this regard, so that they will be able to take up their seat at the table of dignity alongside other nations of the world as equals," Usman noted.