The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, announced plans on Tuesday to collaborate with the Republic of South Korea in the field of vocational education.

He also expressed a willingness to partner with Turkiye on agricultural development.

During a meeting with the Ambassadors of South Korea to Nigeria and Turkey, Minister Wike announced this based on his previous visit to South Korea as the Minister of Education, where he discussed vocational education.

Adopting South Korea’s vocational education model

The Minister praised South Korea’s vocational education model, which empowers students with practical skills, and expressed his desire to establish a vocational school in the FCT in partnership with South Korea.

Furthermore, Minister Wike highlighted the importance of hands-on vocational training and potential collaborations with South Korea, particularly mentioning Samsung’s support for vocational schools.

What he said

• “I desired that we would have concluded with that partnership then, but unfortunately, that was not to be.
• “I would also like to reintroduce that as the FCT minister to see how we can also have that vocational school”.
• “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 addition to that, we have launched a smart school project, one in each of the six geopolitical zones, to help innovate schools in terms of communication technology and teachers’ education,” he said.

Agriculture, Rural electrification 

In a related discussion with the South Korean Ambassador, Kim Young-Chae, the Ambassador conveyed South Korea’s collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Rural Electrification Agency, aiming to create a mini electricity grid in the FCT.

He also mentioned plans for a grant project to support young entrepreneurs, a Nigeria-Korea Model School in the FCT, and innovations in school technology and teacher education.

During a separate meeting with the Turkiye Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Hidayet Bayrakter, Minister Wike discussed the FCT’s potential for agricultural development due to its extensive arable land.

He expressed interest in collaborating with Turkiye in this area and welcomed discussions about the Abuja metro rail line.

However, Minister Wike appealed for a review of Turkish visa policies, emphasizing the need for more flexible entry options to enhance business collaborations.