Japan: Key to Nigeria’s Diversification Lies in Entrepreneurial Drive of Youths

Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

Japan has stated that the key to Nigeria’s diversification lies in the innovative spirit and entrepreneurial drive of Nigeria’s young people.

It stated that by investing in start-ups and fostering a culture of innovation, Nigeria can unlock its full potential and secure a brighter future for its people.

In his remarks at the closing of the second and  the opening of the third Cohort organised by National Information Technology

Development Agency (NITDA) in collaboration with Japanese  International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in Abuja yesterday, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Kazuyoshi Matsunaga, said Japan has a role to play in supporting the Nigerian start-ups’ eco-system.

At the event, the country donated $38,000 to three Nigerian start-ups through the JICA, with a promise for more cooperation and support for Nigerian companies and start-ups.

Matsunga,  who spoke through the Chief Representative, JICA, Yuzurio Susumu, said that Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and a vibrant hub of entrepreneurial activity.

He explained that despite facing challenges such as insecurity and infrastructure limitations, Nigerian start-ups were demonstrating remarkable ingenuity and resilience, developing solutions that address critical social issues in areas such as transportation, agriculture, healthcare, education, and finance.

“As we look to the future, economic diversification is essential for Nigeria’s continued growth and prosperity. The key to this diversification lies in the innovative spirit and entrepreneurial drive of Nigeria’s young people,” he said.

According to him, “Japan, with its long history of technological innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, has a significant role to play in supporting Nigeria’s start-up ecosystem.

“In recent years, Japan has been actively supporting Nigerian startups through iHatch and NINJA, JICA schemes.

 “In addition, collaboration between Japanese and Nigerian companies is another crucial element in fostering innovation and economic growth in both countries.

“J-Bridge, a IETRO scheme facilitates open innovation between Japanese and Nigerian companies, encouraging technology transfer. knowledge sharing, and joint product development.

“I believe that through such partnerships, it is important for Nigerian start-ups to learn not only Japanese technology and expertise, but also business manners such as punctuality and the spirit of KAIZEN which is a concept referring to business activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees from the CEO to the assembly line workers.”

“By investing in start-ups and fostering a culture of innovation, Nigeria can unlock its full potential and secure a brighter future for its people.”

He noted that with “TICAD 9 and the Kansai Expo are approaching in coming years, Japan is committed to strengthening cooperation with Nigeria in the startup and digital fields.

“We will continue to provide support through initiatives such us Hatch und J-Bridge, and we will encourage further collaboration between Japanese and Nigerian companies. Together, we can create an enabling environment for innovation and entrepreneurship to flourish, driving economic growth and creating opportunities for all Nigerians.”

The Director General NITDA, Kachifu Abdullahi, while responding to questions said: “This programme was conceptualised, designed and executed in collaboration with JICA, and the idea behind this is for us to get start-ups with products that are ready for the market.”

He also promised to expand the programme to the 36 states of the federation and create more jobs while building digital solutions to our local problems.

“The pilot scheme created 179 direct jobs, here in Abuja and now we have launched the 2rd Cohort which is going to be five states where we have our zonal offices.

“Our plan for next year is that we want to expand it to 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory making it 37 locations and this will help us in job creation and help us solve our local problems and build our own digital solutions.”

From the $38,000 Japanese donation, the first price of $15,000,went to FUNDUS AI, for a hardware solution on diabetic patients, the second price of $12,000 went to Reno for developing a hardware of meeting the needs of pregnant women who cannot easily access health care , and the third price of $10,000 went to JUM tutors for a software to ease learning.