Mr. Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has announced plans on September 12, 2023, to collaborate with the Republic of South Korea in the field of vocational education. The minister also expressed a willingness to partner with Turkey on agricultural development. During a meeting with the ambassadors of South Korea and Turkey, Wike made the announcement based on his previous visit to South Korea as the minister of education, where he discussed vocational education.
He described South Korea vocational education model as impressive, which empowers students with practical skills, and expressed his desire to establish a vocational school in the FCT in partnership with South Korea. Furthermore, Wike highlighted the importance of hands-on vocational training and potential collaborations with South Korea, particularly mentioning Samsung’s support for vocational schools. He stated that the partnership would have been concluded, but it was unfortunately not to be. Now as the FCT minister, he said that he would like to reintroduce that.
This collaboration would help young entrepreneurs.
Additionally, he said that he would like to introduce a hands-on model to the vocational schools and skill acquisition centers in the city. Of course, this would be in partnership with Korea. According to Wike, he was impressed when he visited Samsung and noticed that sometimes, the company supplies refrigerators and cars to the vocational schools for practical purposes. “I think we have to see how we can come back to that issue because vocational education is very key to us,” he said.
In a related discussion with the South Korean Ambassador, Kim Young-Chae, the ambassador conveyed South Korean collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Rural Electrification Agency. The ambassador aimed to build a mini electricity grid in the city. He also mentioned that South Korea plans to introduce a grant project to help young entrepreneurs start new businesses. This was in addition to a Nigeria-Korea Model School in the FCT and innovations in school technology and teacher education.
Wike was also willing to partner for the Abuja metro line.
During a separate meeting with the Turkiye ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Hidayet Bayrakter, Minister Wike discussed the city’s potential for agricultural development due to its extensive arable land for agricultural development. He said that collaboration with Turkey in that regard would be beneficial for both countries as he welcomed discussions about the Abuja metro rail line. On the Abuja rail line, the minister said that the Administration has an open-door policy and would be willing to discuss with companies from Turkey.
However, Wike appealed for a review of Turkish visa policies, emphasizing the need for more flexible entry options to enhance business collaborations. He pointed out that the policy of short-term, single-entry visas may not be good enough to enhance business collaborations. Earlier, Bayrakter sought the collaboration of the administration in the construction of the second phase of the ongoing Abuja metro line system. The ambassador said that Turkey had very capable construction companies with experience in rail constructions as well as suspension bridges.
Companies are ready to partner with the administration.
Some of the companies, he said, were involved in the construction of the metro system in Dubai and Qatar, in addition to building one of the biggest suspension bridges in the world. He said that the companies have expressed interest in partnering with the administration. He explained the readiness of Turkish investors to meet with the FCT minister for further discussions on the second phase of the rail project, which would help the country’s economy.
Related Link
FCT Administration: Website
