JICA Awards Scholarships to 18 Nigerians to Foster Innovation, Development

Eighteen Nigerian professionals and students received scholarships from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Wednesday, marking the 13th cohort for the Africa Business Education Initiative (ABE Initiative). The awards also include participants in other JICA programs focused on agriculture, disaster risk reduction, and education.

Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Suzuki Hideo, highlighted the ABE Initiative as a significant investment in Nigeria's youth and future. He stated that human-resource development is a cornerstone of sustainable growth, as recognized at the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9). "These programmes are therefore much more than scholarship opportunities; they represent Japan’s confidence in the potential of Nigeria’s young people and our belief that a nation’s stability and prosperity are built not only through infrastructure or investment, but also through people," Hideo said.

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These programmes are therefore much more than scholarship opportunities; they represent Japan’s confidence in the potential of Nigeria’s young people and our belief that a nation’s stability and prosperity are built not only through infrastructure or investment, but also through people.

Keiji Ishigame, Chief Representative of JICA Nigeria Office, noted that the ABE Initiative, launched in 2013, has already sent over 180 Nigerians to Japan for master's degrees and internships with Japanese companies. He encouraged the new scholars to maximize their learning and networking opportunities in Japan to deepen business ties and promote investment.

Beneficiaries are urged to embrace Japanese principles like Kaizen, or continuous improvement, and to return to Nigeria with new perspectives and ideas to contribute to national development. One recipient, Maimuna Muhammed Lawal, expressed her intent to pursue a master's degree in International Relations.

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In Nigeria, since 2015, more than 180 talented young Nigerians from both the public and private sectors have been dispatched to Japan through the ABE Initiative.