The JICA team is currently in Kwara to explore opportunities for supporting various sectors, particularly education and agriculture.
Kwara State, recognised for its commitment to basic education development, has been identified as one of the beneficiary states for JICA interventions.
The JICA team, focusing on basic education, is collaborating with the State Universal Basic Education Board, led by Professor Raheem Adaramaja.
During a courtesy visit by the JICA team to Ilorin, Governor AbdulRazaq expressed his administration's significant investments in school infrastructure and human capital development. However, he acknowledged the need for further interventions to consolidate the progress made in the sector.
The Governor commended JICA for their offer of partnership, emphasising its potential to complement his administration's efforts to enhance the quality of teaching and learning outcomes in public schools.
He stated, "Your visit will support us in fixing some of the deficits in the education sector. We can definitely partner to improve our basic education because nothing is perfect, and we have some deficiencies like out-of-school children and concerns around girl-child education, among others."
Matsuzaki Mizuki, the leader of JICA's mission team, affirmed the agency's focus on providing support for improved quality education, particularly at the basic level.
Expressing gratitude for the warm reception, Mizuki said, "We are here to see how we can support your basic education... We will go back to Japan and continue the discussion on how we can support your state in basic education."
The Chairman of Kwara SUBEB, Professor Sheu Raheem Adaramaja, highlighted the efforts of Governor AbdulRazaq's administration in revamping facilities across 605 out of 2,887 basic schools in need of urgent attention. He emphasised the significance of JICA's intervention in bridging the remaining gaps.
The partnership between the Kwara State Government and JICA holds the promise of significant advancements in basic education, addressing challenges such as out-of-school children and promoting the education of girls.