A 12-year-old Ghanaian multilingual and multicultural student has brought Ghana into the spotlight at the 2025 Chinese Bridge Competition held in Beijing, China.

Mafaatih Wunnam Alidu-Cotachi topped all African contestants and placed sixth globally, becoming the first Ghanaian to achieve such a milestone in the history of the Chinese language and culture contest.

The Chinese Bridge Competition is an annual global event designed to showcase the proficiency of foreign students in the Chinese language and culture.

Established by the Chinese government in 2002, the contest promotes cultural exchange, language learning, and intercultural understanding. It has since grown into one of the most prestigious international platforms for non-Chinese students to demonstrate their skills in both language and cultural knowledge.

Wunnam, a pupil of the University of Cape Coast Primary School, represented Ghana among 76 participating countries in this year’s competition.

His journey to the global stage began at the preliminary round, which featured contestants from KNUST, the University of Ghana Basic School, and UCC Basic School. He emerged the winner, advancing to the semi-finals, which brought together the top three performers from across the country.

At the national competition held at the Confucius Institute of the University of Cape Coast, Wunnam not only won the overall title but also excelled in the speech and talent categories.

This double victory crowned him national champion and secured his place as Ghana’s representative at the global contest in Beijing.

The grand finale took place between 17 and 28 September and featured a range of cultural and language activities. Contestants were assessed not only on stage performances but also on their ability to socialise and interact with peers from around the world.

On Sunday, 21 September, Wunnam delivered a remarkable stage performance, highlighting Ghana as the “gateway to Africa and hope for the world.” Out of 76 global contestants, he advanced to the top 15. In the final stage performance on 24 September, his outstanding display secured him the title of Africa’s best performer and sixth place worldwide.

Wunnam’s historic achievement is a testament to the exceptional talents of Ghanaian children, reflecting the value of strong family upbringing and the quality of formal education in the country.