Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Chief Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh has said that Nigeria is ready to collaborate with Japan in order to strengthen bilateral ties in the area of technology transfer for the benefit of the country.
A statement issued by the Deputy Director Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Obed Atuora, noted that Chief Ikoh said this when the Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, His Excellency, Matsunaga Kazuyoshi paid him a courtesy visit in his office recently in Abuja.
According to the Minister, the Ministry has technical Departments and Agencies saddled with responsibilities of various fields of technology, adding that Japan collaboration will enhance to transform the country’s potentials.
He therefore commended the Japanese Government for the long standing bilateral relations between the two countries and assured the Ambassador that Nigeria is committed to working together with Japan.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Monilola Udoh, said that presently Nigeria is gradually moving from commodity to knowledge based economy in order to transform its raw materials into finished products in the market for economic transformation and diversification.
She reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to the economic diversification of the nation, hence the need to collaborate with Japan for Technology Transfer.
Earlier, the Ambassador Kazuyoshi said that the purpose of his visit was to seek collaboration between the two countries in the area of technology transfer, noting that Nigeria has various natural resources which Japan can explore technologically.