Nigerian president optimistic about Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

ABUJA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday expressed his optimism that the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will be a success.

"With China's rich experience in organizing international events, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, with the slogan 'Together For A Shared Future,' will be delivered as a splendid, exceptional, and extraordinary Olympic event for the world," Buhari said in a statement released by the State House.

In the statement, the Nigerian leader lauded Beijing for making history as the first "dual Olympic city" in the world's Olympic history, after having hosted the Summer Olympics in 2008.

"As a friendly and brotherly country to Nigeria, President Buhari affirms the support of the Nigerian government and its people to China," said the statement, recognizing that the Olympic Games is a platform for closer friendship and cooperation between countries.

He expected Nigerian athletes participating in different events will excel at the competition, surpassing the previous record in PyeongChang, South Korea, in 2018, when the nation competed for the first time.

Buhari said he hoped that all athletes, in the pursuit of their Olympic dream, would promote the core values of the Games which are excellence, friendship, and respect.