the generation of solar electricity in Nigeria, as
part of its infrastructure development assistance.
The Asian country is also considering a $200m
request from the Federal Government for power
transmission project.
The Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr.
Ryuichi Shoji, who said this at a news
conference on Monday in Abuja, noted that the
support to Nigeria was part of his nation’s
Official Development Assistance, following the
fifth Tokyo International Conference on African
Development, a summit initiated by Japan in
1993 to revive the interest of the international
community in African development.
Shoji also said that Japan was considering a
plan for Nigeria’s automobile industry
development as well as a centre for industrial
human capacity development, stressing that
Japanese companies would soon double their
presence in the country.
The envoy stated that his country had budgeted
an $85m loan for polio eradication and another
$4m grant for medical equipment for community
health centres in Nigeria.
According to the ambassador, Japan has also
earmarked $12.77 as a grant for primary school
construction in Oyo State, adding that his
country was empowering small-scale farmers by
assisting with rice post-harvest and marketing
improvement project, aquaculture and shea
butter processing facilities.
Shoji said his country planned to contribute to
the growth of Africa by spending about $32bn
(¥3.2tn), utilising private and public means,
including Official Development Assistance worth
$14 billion (¥1.4tn), in the next five years.
He explained that Japan also planned to double
its rice production in sub-Saharan Africa to 28
million tonnes by 2018 through the continuing
efforts of the Coalition for African Rice
Development.
Shoji stated that Japan was working to
transform farmers from subsistence to
commercial ones in 10 African countries,
stressing that access to safe water and
sanitation would get support.
Asked why Japan had not assisted Nigeria with
arms to combat the Boko Haram insurgency, the
envoy said his country did not export or import
arms, noting that this was the content of its
security policy.
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