The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (OON), has held strategic talks with his Japanese counterpart on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), with a focus on deepening bilateral cooperation and advancing shared interests.
Ambassador Tuggar praised Japan’s hospitality and its consistent role in Africa’s development through TICAD and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). He emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to expanding economic collaboration and invited Japanese investments in key sectors such as energy transition, agriculture, infrastructure, and the digital economy.
Both ministers also explored opportunities for technical cooperation in vocational training, renewable energy, and climate-smart agriculture, while addressing pressing regional security issues including counterterrorism, maritime safety in the Gulf of Guinea, and peacekeeping initiatives.
Highlighting Nigeria’s economic reforms aimed at creating a more favorable investment climate, Ambassador Tuggar encouraged Japanese technology companies to take part in Nigeria’s Smart City and Digital Economy initiatives. He further called for greater collaboration in science, innovation, and healthcare.
In line with TICAD 9 priorities—promoting inclusive growth, climate resilience, and peacebuilding—the two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to multilateral cooperation, particularly on United Nations reform and global peace efforts.
Ambassador Tuggar concluded by extending an invitation to the Japanese Foreign Minister to visit Nigeria for follow-up consultations, proposing the establishment of a Nigeria–Japan Strategic Partnership Framework to guide future diplomatic and economic engagements.
![[12/06, 9:27 pm] rosewendy: The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has called on Nigeria to remain committed to technological advancement despite the recent challenges experienced by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Governor Soludo made this appeal on Thursday while speaking at The Platform Nigeria, a civic engagement programme hosted by The Covenant Nation in Lagos, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s Democracy Day. Addressing the audience, the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor emphasized that while glitches in the conduct of digital examinations are regrettable, reverting to analogue systems is not a sustainable solution for Nigeria’s progress. “Technology is upon us. We cannot afford any failure or experiment to push us back to analogue systems. The proper response is to strengthen our systems, not abandon them,” Soludo stated. His comments come in the wake of widespread criticism directed at JAMB, after the examination body announced that 379,997 candidates would have to retake their UTME following technical issues experienced during the exam. JAMB, via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, confirmed that the disruptions affected 157 out of 887 CBT centres nationwide, sparking frustration among candidates and stakeholders. Soludo, however, maintained that embracing digital solutions with adequate preparation and rigorous system testing is the way forward. “We must embrace technology while acknowledging that no system is error-free. What matters is adequate preparation, repeated stress testing, and ensuring auxiliary services like network access are reliable. Going back to analogue isn’t the answer,” he advised. The debate around the examination setback has drawn comments from national figures. Former presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, recently praised JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, for taking responsibility for the hitches. “We have to be careful not to let those affected by these reforms derail the progress being made. Prof. Oloyede has openly admitted the embarrassment and accepted responsibility, which is a mark of leadership,” Akande said. As Nigeria continues its journey toward a digitally-driven education sector, Soludo’s remarks underscore the need for resilience, innovation, and preparedness in deploying technology for national development. [13/06, 9:04 am] rosewendy: Soludo Warns: Nigeria Must Not Crawl Back to Analogue Despite JAMB's Digital Disaster](https://toscadnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/InShot_20250613_090655799.jpg)
