S’Korea to Share Devt Experience with Nigeria

Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

The South Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Kim Young-Chae, has disclosed that his country will share its development experience with Nigeria.

He made the disclosure at a three-day workshop organised by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica) in Abuja, where the Camerounian e-government delegation is expected to study the Nigerian e-government policy implementation.

In an interview with journalists, the ambassador said that South Korea is the most advanced economy when it comes to information communication technology (ICT), adding that his country was going to share its development experience with Nigeria.

He said: “As you know, Korea is the most developed country in ICT, telecom sectors and e-government. Our government wants to share our development experience on ICT, e-government, etc with Nigeria because Nigeria is the most populous country and largest economy in Africa. We have very strong relations with Nigeria for the past 10 years.”

According to Young-Chae, Korea will share their experience with Nigeria through education and digital economy.

“We are assisting Nigeria in two areas –education and digital economy. We are investing in smarter schools, and we are looking for seven schools within Nigeria (middle and high schools),” he said.

He also said that Nigeria needs to have very good relationship with her neighbours because it is good for the country and the citizenry.

The envoy stated: “Nigeria’s neighbouring countries are very important because it’s good for the country and her people. Korea, Nigeria and Cameroon will build common interest, common understanding and common network to help each other.”

The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, said that Nigeria had benefited tremendously from the implementation of e-government project in the country.

Pantami, who spoke through the Permanent Secretary in his ministry, Bitus Bako, said: “The country has benefited tremendously as a result of the implementation of e-government.

“Such benefits include cost saving efficiency in service delivery, enhanced transparency and accountability, improved public administration, growth of ICT sector, provision of employment opportunities and improved economic development of our digital economy.”

The keynote address speaker and head of the Camerounian delegation and Inspector General, Ministry of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, Tabod Jacqueline, said they came to Nigeria to learn and that the knowledge sharing experience will enable her ministry to create a similar e-government training centre in Cameroun.

The Koica Country Director, Cameroon, Gyuhing Lee, said that Koica likes to deliver knowledge to both countries, adding that it decided to bring Cameroun to learn from Nigeria since they are about to start the first phase of e-government which Nigeria has successfully implemented.