The Nigerian government would continue to strengthen its ties with Japan as part of measures to deepen trade and exploit more opportunities in areas of infrastructural development, food security and health, Vice President Kashim Shettima, has said.
The Vice President said this when a delegation of the Japanese government led by the outgoing Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Mr Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, and President of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Dr Tanaka Akihiko, paid him a visit at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He assured the Japanese government of enhanced cooperation with the Federal Government of Nigeria and the resolution of 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,” he said.
The Vice President applauded Ambassador Kazuyoshi for doing an outstanding job in anchoring the relationship between the two nations, stressing that the presence of key actors in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including two ministers and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, accentuated the importance Nigeria attaches to its relationship with Japanese international development agency, JICA.
The Vice President xpressed 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 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) yesterday where, again, you have given a grant of ¥1.75 billion for the strengthening of diagnostic capacity of the NCDC,” the Vice President said.
He 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 said.
To the outgoing Ambassador Kazuyoshi, the Vice President wished him a fruitful and productive tour of duty in his next location.
The President of JICA, Dr Akihiko, sympathised with Nigeria over the recent flood that caused damage to many communities and deaths, especially in Maiduguri, Borno state, saying the sympathy is special because Japan has been a victim of natural disasters.
He extended gratitude to Nigeria and its citizens for understanding and allowing JICA to participate in development projects in the country.
He said he also visited the Nigeria Information Technology Centre where he met with Nigerian engineers and entrepreneurs, stressing that he was impressed with their ingenuity and level of creativity.
Also speaking, Ambassador Kazuyoshi disclosed that the Japanese government would 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.
