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Nigeria’s government on Wednesday said it will continue to strengthen ties with Japan to deepen trade and take advantage of more opportunities, especially in infrastructure development, food security and health.
Vice President Kassim Shettima said this during a visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja by a Japanese government delegation led by outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria Kazuyoshi Matsunaga and Japan International Cooperation Agency President Akihiko Tanaka. .
Mr. Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday titled, “Nigeria and Japan seek closer ties to deepen trade, development and food security.”
Mr. Shettima assured the Japanese government to strengthen cooperation with the Federal Government of Nigeria and resolve all gray areas in bilateral relations between the two countries.
“All the gray areas will be resolved.Fortunately, the CBN governor is here and two of the major beneficiary ministries are represented at the highest level.
“Rest assured that in the coming days we will resolve all the gray areas and put our bilateral relations on a new pedestal,” the vice president told delegates.
The Vice President commended Ambassador Kazuyoshi for his excellent job in solidifying the relationship between the two countries, adding that the presence of key figures in President Bola Tinubu’s administration, including two ministers and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, underscored the relationship between the two countries. he pointed out. Nigeria values its relationship with Japan’s international development agency, JICA
The Vice President expressed his appreciation for JICA’s efforts towards strengthening Nigeria-Japan relations through its contribution to development across key sectors of the economy.
Specifically, he expressed his gratitude to the JICA Chairman for the company’s donation of 1.75 billion yen in grant money to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control to strengthen its diagnostic capacity.
“Your Excellency, we are very grateful for JICA’s continued efforts. Words cannot adequately express our gratitude. Under the exemplary leadership of Dr. Akihiko Tanaka, JICA will continue to strengthen the relationship between our two countries. has played a very important role.
“Your contributions span critical areas of our economy and society and align seamlessly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s New Hope Agenda.
“I am pleased that you visited the Nigeria Center for Disease Control yesterday and awarded us a grant of 1.75 billion yen to strengthen the diagnostic capacity of the NCDC,” Shettima said.
He also acknowledged JICA’s support in polio eradication, saying this helped Nigeria achieve polio-free status in 2020.
He added: “We share your vision of making Nigeria the disease control center of West Africa, and with one in four black men being Nigerian, this in turn makes Nigeria the It can be the hub of the whole thing,” he added.
“Therefore, we ask you to further strengthen cooperation between our two countries. You are a silent giant. Don’t make too much noise.”
The Vice President wished Ambassador Kazuyoshi every success in his next assignment.
In his earlier remarks, JICA President Akihiko expressed sympathy with Nigeria over the recent floods that caused damage and death to many communities, especially in Maiduguri, Borno State, and expressed sympathy for Japan as it is a victim of natural disasters. said it was special. disaster.
Mr. Akihiko expressed his gratitude to Nigeria and its people for allowing JICA to understand, support and participate in the country’s development projects. He did his job,” he said. And Japan. ”
He also said that he visited the Nigeria Information Technology Center and met with Nigerian technologists and entrepreneurs and was impressed by their level of ingenuity and creativity, which he said was the basis for cooperation with JICA. He emphasized that
Kazuyoshi also revealed that the Japanese government plans to hold an international conference on African development in Tokyo next year.
He said the Japanese government has paid close attention to its partnership with Nigeria and would like to use the opportunity of the visit to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
Also, Dr. Kinsley Uzoma, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness and Productivity Improvement (Office of the Vice President), explained the level of Japan’s involvement in Nigeria’s development, noting that JICA has been successful in supporting Nigeria in the sector. He said that Food Security Emergency Assistance Loan.
Mr. Uzoma highlighted that one of the most important areas of support is the rehabilitation and strengthening project of the transmission substation in Lagos.
The initiative aims to provide uninterrupted power to Apapa Wharf, ensuring 24-hour power availability.
He explained that the project would help elevate Nigeria’s ports to meet international standards.
Also present at the meeting was the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari. Minister of Water Resources, Professor Joseph Terulmun Utsev; CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso and Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hadezia.
