UNILAG Partners Japanese Agency to Enhance Research, Learning Opportunities

By Oki Floral

The University of Lagos (UNILAG), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) hosted a delegation to discuss opportunities for collaborative research and educational development under the agency’s Africa-Japan Initiative for Science, Technology and Innovation Partnership in Higher Education (AJ-INSPIRE).

The delegation, comprising representatives from JICA Headquarters in Tokyo and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya, was received by the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, alongside other principal officers of the University on September 7, 2026.

Speaking on behalf of the visiting team, JICA Programme Coordinator for Education, Stephen Nwanya, said the visit marked a significant shift in the agency’s engagement with African institutions.

He noted that JICA’s collaboration with universities had previously focused largely on basic and secondary education, noting that its engagement with UNILAG formed part of a renewed effort to extend partnerships to the tertiary education sector.

The Senior Advisor for Higher Education at JICA Headquarters, Dr. Okano Takase noted the history and scope of the AJ-INSPIRE programme, adding that the initiative was launched at the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama, Japan, and currently operates through three hub institutions: the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), JKUAT, and Stellenbosch University.

According to him, the hubs currently lead research activities in areas including energy, food value chains, and water and climate change.

Okano proposed three key areas of cooperation with UNILAG: the participation of UNILAG researchers in existing hub-led initiatives, involvement in upcoming research teams focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and aerospace engineering, and direct institutional collaboration between UNILAG and JKUAT.

Responding to the proposals, Ogunsola welcomed the delegation and highlighted UNILAG’s existing research strengths in agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, and urban farming.

She also pointed to the University’s capacity in AI, citing facilities such as the UNDP-funded AI UniPod and the NITDA AI Hub, as well as ongoing partnerships with institutions including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stellenbosch University through the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA).