By Dauda R Pam
Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, at the weekend departed for Japan on the invitation of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is leading Nigeria’s delegation to the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) scheduled to hold on Wednesday through Friday, August 28 and 30 in the City of Yokohama.
Malam Isa Gusau, Special ADVISER, Public Relations and strategy, said Professor Zulum left together with President Buhari on board presidential jet alongside Governors Abdulraham AbdulRazaq of Kwara and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos states.
Malam Isa Gusau noted that at the conference, which has the theme, “Africa and Yokohama, Sharing Passion for the Future,” President Buhari is scheduled to deliver Nigeria’s statement with a focus on evaluating the country’s international relations with Japan and the takeaways from the conference.
The President is also expected to attend a state banquet in addition to a reception to be organized by the Emperor of Japan, Naruhito, which takes place at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and explained that although Governor Zulum is travelling as member of President’s delegation, the Governor hopes to use the conference to establish areas of cooperation that can benefit Borno State.
The spokesman recalled that Borno State has benefited from some Japanese funded interventions which include an intervention on livelihood support through the UN’s World Food Programme launched in March 2019; an intervention on agriculture for villagers in Kaga local government launched in September 2016 and a rural electrification project executed through a Japanese grant in aid, commissioned in Damasak headquarters of Mobbar local government area back in December 2004.
Governor Zulum, he said, intends to build on these partnerships to identify ways that his presidential trip to Japan will be of direct benefit to the people of Borno State.
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