President Umaru Yar'Adua's seven point agenda and the Vision 20 20 20 have received a boost from the Japanese Government which yesterday agreed to make significant contributions in the area of health, education, water supply, rural electrification and agriculture to the vision as well as significantly enhance its bilateral Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) Loan to Nigeria in line with the determination of the Japanese Government to double the ODA by 2012.

These were contained in a statement jointly issued by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe as well as his Japanese counterpart, Hirofumi Nakasone after three days of bilateral talks between both countries in Japan.

The document which elaborately indicated that both parties agreed to work together in the areas of bilateral relations, trade and investment as well as climate change, clearly spelt out the roles expected to be played by both parties to make the relationship broader and scope of future dealings deeper.

In the area of economic cooperation, the Japanese government has accepted to provide support for the seven point agenda in the five areas outlined, "in order to contribute to Nigeria's achievement of the targets in the Seven Point Agenda and Vision 2020.

In line with the promise therefore, the Japanese Government has agreed to provide assistance in the areas of providing a Master Plan Study on Rural Electrification; One Local Government One Product Plan for Revitalizing Nigeria's Rural Economy; strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education Project phase 2, as well as project for enhancing the function of rural water supply and sanitation centre for capacity development in National Water resources Institute.