Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, who disclosed this while playing host to the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Sadandou Kusaoke, who paid a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja, said Japan had recorded significant feats in the science world that would be of great benefit to Nigeria.
He said with the Federal Government’s commitment of making the economy innovation and knowledge-driven, Nigeria would benefit from Japanese expertise in space exploration and Nano technology, adding that the existing cooperation between Japan and the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) would be strengthened and sustained for maximum impact
Dr Onu further solicited Japanese cooperation in the area of artificial intelligence and Nano technology to boost agricultural production.
“With artificial intelligence, the drudgery of farming would be a thing of the past as technology would replace hard labor, thus making farming a pastime”, he explained.
The minister commended Japan for offering scholarships to Nigerian students to study specialised courses in Science, Engineering and Mathematics.
He called for improved trade relations between the two countries, recalling that it was a Japanese firm that helped in building Port-Harcourt refinery.
Dr. Onu also revealed that the ministry was working assiduously through its agencies to ensure that research and development results were converted into tangible, concrete products and services..
Earlier, the Japanese Ambassador, Mr. Sadandou Kusaoke said the bilateral relationship between the two countries would be sustained for the common good of both.
Mr. Kusaoke used the opportunity to extend invitation to the minister to attend the forthcoming meeting of the 2nd International Space Exploration holding in Mach, 2018 in Japan.
He said the meeting would afford Nigeria opportunity to benefit from the experience of other countries.
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