Under Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) facility, Japanese government granted the Federal government $76 million loan for the eradication of poliomyelitis four years ago.
By this arrangement, the facility was structured for repayment this year by Bill and Mellinda Gates Foundation. Fortunately, the country fought and conquered polio before the maturity of the facility.
Therefore, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance has authorised Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to repay $76 million polio eradication debt to Japan.
Adeosun, who made this known in Abuja on Tuesday when she received a delegation of Japanese House of Councillors Parliamentarians, said the delegates were in Nigeria to assess the level of usage of Overseas Development Assistance (ODAs) extended to Nigeria since 2014.
The minister, however, noted that Nigeria was fast growing and evolving from negative areas to positive areas through its determined fight against corruption.
She added that “because Nigeria is a middle income country, we will require the expertise of Japanese companies for infrastructure development.
“Nigeria is a good place to invest because it is a rising investment destination.
“I promise that the government will make life easy for Japanese investors wishing to do business in Nigeria.”
In his address, Mr. Kiyoshi Ejima, the leader of the delegation, described Nigeria as a powerhouse with rich natural resources with which Japan tried to strengthen relationship with.
Nigeria, Ejima said, had set the target of becoming one of the top 20 economies by the year 2020, assuring that “Japan will support Nigeria toward realising its 2020 target.”
Source: NAN
