Japan-Nigeria Relations - UNN top on priority list

By: Okwun Omeaku

The university of Nigeria (UNN) is to benefit extensively from a growing load-based Japan- Nigeria bilateral relations in the ICT industry.

Speaking in Enugu at a dinner party in honor of UNN Professors as Alumni with Japanese academic background, the Japanese Ambassador Extraordinary and plenipotentiary.  Yutaka Kikuta expressed optimism that the  Professors  would  make the difference not only in the UNN but in Nigeria and Africa. The Ambassador, who was on a working tour to some  parts of South East and South- South Nigeria, said he was pleased to note that many Nigerians go to Japan to study, speaking the language fluently, and are very  successful thereafter.

“This is why I am giving this dinner. I have come to interact with some of the Professors here at the UNN after their return to Nigeria and organized themselves into an Alumni Association to increase their network collaboration,” he said.

Ambassador Kituka agreed with the reporter that the Japanese language was not quite popular globally, but promised to increase the horizon for the Japanese studies through ICT and the social media. To this end the embassy in Nigeria has initiated a Facebook platforms. On the challenges militating against the maximal gains to Japanese Academic Scholarships, the Ambassador promised to ease the pressures by injecting more English guides on the forms as advertized to the benefit of Nigerians.

Responding on behalf of the UNN team, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof James Ogbonna, appreciated the Ambassador and his team for the dinner which he said, had provided an enabling platform to rub minds. Issues relating to the establishment of a Japanese language school within the Department of Foreign Languages  (UNN) to take-off later this year were discussed.

A batch of over 45 students from the UNN are currently in Japan for studies as part of the African Business Education Initiative (AOBI).