Korea, Nigeria parley on fourth industrial revolution

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Republic of Korea and Nigeria yesterday in Abuja had bilateral talks on the prospects of Nigeria becoming part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The Special Envoy of the President of Republic of Korea, Mr. Jang Sungmin, led a seven-man delegation, which included the Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Kim Young-chae, to the talks with officers of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Speaking with reporters, Jang said the Korean government is seeking to cooperate with Nigeria which is the gateway to Africa and the continent’s most populous country.

The envoy said Nigeria boasts of the biggest natural resources in Africa as well as the largest arable land which are the criteria for economic power in Africa.

He stressed that Korea feels it could collaborate with Nigeria to achieve those objectives given that the West African country has a new leadership that has opened up the country for business.

Jang said apart from natural resources, Nigeria has a younger generation workforce to drive its aspiration to lead the world in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, while Korea has the technology and human capacity for technological transfer in agriculture, cyber space, security, bio-technology, oil refinery among others.

“Korea is already leading the Fourth industrial revolution and so President Yoon Suk Yeol feels that by combining forces and expanding avenues for cooperation will lead to prosperity for Nigeria and probably catalyst much faster economic development for it than Korea has experienced,” Jang said.

He added that his country was optimistic to cooperate with a new cabinet to be constituted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that Korea was also keen to share with the new Nigerian government its common values of liberty, peace and prosperity that underline the foundation of its foreign policy.

“We believe Nigeria, especially the new government led by President Tinubu is the government that we can share this common value and as much more enhanced cooperation with. Korea is a country that used to receive development assistance from international community. Now as the 10th largest economy in the world Korea is in a unique position to give back to the international community what it has received in the past and so we look forward to our cooperation with Nigeria,” he said.

Other members of the delegation included the Deputy Secretary to the Korean President on for Future Policy, Yoo Chang-ho,  the Vice President of SK, Guillame Barthe-Dejean, Chief Financial Officer, LG Electronics Nigeria, Kim Inkyu, Economic Attache Korean Embassy, Choi Jungwon and Miss Park Hyesong of Korea International Development Agency (KOICA).