Leadership (Abuja)
17 November 2008
analysis
Nigeria can attain greatness by nurturing and sustaining her relationship with Japan, the land of the rising sun. Stanley Udi periscopes the activities of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
At the turn of the new millennium, the collective expectation of Nigerians was that the nation would evolve a platform on which the realisation of her human and natural resource potentials would be anchored on.
Despite the shortcomings of the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the present government of Umaru Musa Yar'Adua appears determined to chart a new course for the nation's socio-political transformation.
The plank on which the incumbent government's policy thrust is centred on is the much trumpeted seven-point agenda and the Vision 2020, aimed at effectively transforming Nigeria into one of the 20 most industrialised countries by the year 2020.
However, realising the Vision 2020 policy cannot be successfully executed by government alone. There is need for the organised private sector (OPS), various bilaterial chambers of commerce in Nigeria and international agencies who are committed to the exponential growth of the country to partner with government in realising the future aspirations as contained in the seven-point-agenda.
One such international agency whose founding axiom has been maintained over the years is the Japan International Cooperation Agency alumni association (JICA). The organisation which was established in 1989 is in a vantage position to foster bilaterial relations between Nigeria and Japan to ensure mutually derivable benefits to both countries.
The association which presently has over eight hundred members was established as a vehicle for individuals who had undertaken a number of training programmes under the international co-operation programme of the Japanese government to come together and harness their wealth of experience for the benefit of the nation.
One important feature of JICA is that membership of the body is not restricted to only those who had been trained in Japan. As a way of appreciating the immense contributions of some patriotic Nigerians, JICA has, in the past, confered honorary or life membership on deserving individuals.
Presently, JICA is marshalled by its president, Dr. Nandul Durfa. The executive committee members include: Mr. J.K Nayeju (JP) as 1st vice president, Dan Aighewi (Mni) as secretary-general, Emmanuel Okonko Ndem, the assistant secretary general and Dr. Nnadoze as treasurer. Other exco members of JICA are Ahmed Agberankhe, the organising secretary and Ken Uchegbuoho who holds forte as the auditor.
According to an exco member of the association, Mr. Ahmed Agberankhe: "The objectives of JICA reveals the immense contribution which the association undertakes towards nation building. The association fosters co-operation and development of cultural ties between Nigeria and the land of the rising sun."
Among some of its numerious programmes is the annual JICA day celebration which usually takes place in the month of November to showcase the rich Nigerian cultural repertoire and display of Japanese films that depicts that nation's civilisation that has spanned centuries.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation stands to benefit tremendously by liaising with JICA, as Nigeria canvasses global support in the listing of her numerous cultural sites in the World's Heritage data base. This would result in boosting the nation's tourism potentials, as well as generating foreign revenue as the country puts measure in place to diversity its economy.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency is also in the vanguard of facilitating the free exchange of ideas, knowledge and technology between Nigeria and Japan. With the pre-eminent position of Japan as one of the biggest economies in the world, coupled with its technological advancement, Nigeria stands to benefit in every respect.
The astute business acumen of Japanese foreign investors in the areas of steel production, automobiles, nuclear facilities for electricity generation, among others, can be brought to bear as Nigeria marches towards realising the Millennium Development Goals and vision 2020 agenda.
Another milestone achievement of JICA is in promoting the flow of technical contribution and assistance from the Japanese government to Nigeria. The strategic importance of this objective becomes glaring when considering relevant laws on foreign participation in the Nigerian economy, most especially the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) and the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion.
JICA has a prominent role to play in advising Japanese companies who are invited to Nigeria with the approval of the federal government to execute any specified individual project, advising the Nigerian and Japanese government owned companies engaged solely in export promotion activities and advising Japanese engineering consultants and technical experts engaged in any individual specialist project under contract with any of the government of the federation or any government agencies/individuals in Nigeria.
In this era of privatisation of public utilities, JICA's role in drawing Japanese industrialists to participate in the nation's economy becomes crucial.
The association, as a result of its historical nexus with the oriental nation, is in a position to ensure effective joint venture agreement between Nigerian and Japanese business investors, especially where foreign direct investments and foreign portfolio investment in the acquisition of shares by foreigners in Nigerian companies is concerned. In the area of education, JICA has over the years, advised and assisted Nigerians proceeding to Japan for technical training. It has also organised series of lectures for Nigerian students on a wide range of issues.
Recently, the association organised its 2008 annual public lecture tagged "Substance Abuse Among Youths and Mathematics Science: A pathway to Career Achievement" at the Cyprian Ekwensi Centre in Abuja.
About eight secondary schools drawn from all parts of the FCT participated in the event. The schools included Government Secondary School, Gwagwalada; Government Secondary School, Garki, Stella Maris College, Abuja; Internationl Academy, Bicados College Bwari; Army Day Secondary School, Mogadishu Barracks, FCT; Technical College and Community Secondary School, Asokoro, Abuja.
Two eggheads, in the persons of Dr. Tayo Daramola, a consultant psychiatrist with the National Hospital Gwagwalada, spoke on substance abuse among youths, while Chief J.O. Kekere (JP), a director with the Mathematical Improvement centre (state) delivered the second lecture.
Dr. Daramola highlighted the negative effects of substance abuse, while pointing out that addiction to substance abuse starts from tolerance level before graduating to dependence. According to him "cigarettes and alcohol constitute the classes of substance usually abused".
Speaking further at the event, he remarked that: "the complications arising from substance abuse include problems in the family, stealing, loss of sense of responsibility, delinquent acts, promiscuity and dementia among other negative traits."
The guest speaker went on to advocate abstinence as the best method to avoid substance abuse, while stressing the need to admit abusers for psychiatric analysis.
There is no doubt that the quest by the Nigerian state to climb to the summit of the world's economies can be successfully implemented if the present challenges are positively tackled. The onus is government to provide the enabling environment so that the activities of associations like JICA can be comprehensively carried out.
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