The Federal Government has pledged to strengthen its ties with Japan to deepen trade and exploit more opportunities in areas of infrastructural development, food security, and health, among others.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima gave the assurance when a delegation of the Japanese government paid him a visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.
The Japan delegation was led by the outgoing- Amb. of Japan to Nigeria, Mr Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, and President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Dr Tanaka Akihiko
Shettima assured the Japanese government of enhanced cooperation with the Federal Government of Nigeria, as well as resolving all the grey areas involving bilateral relations between the two nations.
“All the grey areas will be addressed. Luckily, the CBN Governor is here, and two of the major beneficiary ministries are represented at the highest level.
” Be rest assured that in a couple of days, we are going to resolve all the grey areas and put our relationship on a new pedestal,” Shettima said.
The Vice-President applauded Amb. Kazuyoshi for doing an outstanding job in anchoring the relationship between the two nations.
He noted that the presence of key actors in President Bola Tinubu’s administration, including two ministers and the Governor of CBN, accentuated the importance Nigeria attaches to its relationship with Japanese international development agency (JICA).
Shettima expressed gratitude to JICA for its commitment towards strengthening the ties between Nigeria and Japan through its contributions to development across critical sectors of the economy.
He also thanked JICA’s President for the firm’s donation of a grant of ¥1.75 billion to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to strengthen the Centre’s diagnostic capacity.
“Your Excellency, we are immensely grateful for JICA’s continuous commitment; words cannot adequately convey our depth of gratitude.
” Under the exemplary leadership of Dr Tanaka Akihiko, JICA has played a very vital role in strengthening the ties between our two nations.
“Your contributions span across critical sectors of our economy and society, aligning seamlessly with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
” I am glad you visited the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday where, again, you have given a grant of ¥1.75 billion for the strengthening of diagnostic capacity of the NCDC,” he said.
Shettima also acknowledged JICA’s assistance in polio eradication, which he said helped Nigeria to achieve polio-free status in 2020.
“We share in your vision of making Nigeria a hub for disease control in West Africa and, by extension, you can make it a hub for the whole of Africa because one in every four black men is a Nigerian.
” So, we implore you to further enhance the cooperation between our two nations. You are a silent giant. You don’t make too much noise,” he added.
Shettima wished the outgoing Amb. Kazuyoshi, a fruitful and productive tour of duty in his next location.
Earlier, the President of JICA, Akihiko, sympathised with Nigeria over the flood that recently caused damage to many communities and deaths, especially in Maiduguri, Borno.
He said that the sympathy was special because Japan has been a victim of natural disasters.
Akihiko extended his gratitude to Nigeria and its citizens for understanding, supporting and allowing JICA to participate in development projects in the country.
He said ” the Amb. of Japan, Mr Matsunaga Kasuyoshi, has done a good job in maintaining and improving the relations between Nigeria and Japan.”
He said he also visited the Nigeria Information Technology Centre where he met with the Nigerian engineers and entrepreneurs.
He noted that he was impressed with their ingenuity and level of creativity, just as he stressed that it has formed the basis of collaboration with JICA.
Also, Amb. Kazuyoshi disclosed that the Japanese government will hold an International Conference on African Development in Tokyo next year.
He said while the Japanese government has paid great attention to the partnership with Nigeria, it would like to use the opportunity of the visit to strengthen the bilateral relationship between both countries.
For his part, Dr Kinsley Uzoma, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusinesses and Productivity Enhancement (Office of the Vice President), commended JICA for supporting Nigeria in the area of food security emergency support loan.
Uzoma emphasised that one of the most critical areas of support is the project to rehabilitate and reinforce the Lagos transmission substation.
” This initiative aims to provide an uninterrupted power supply to Apapa Wharf, ensuring 24-hour electricity.
” The project is instrumental in elevating the Nigerian port to meet international standards,” he explained.
