The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency Christopher Cooter, was the first guest lecturer in the Distinguished Visitor Lecture Series of Kwara State University, Malete.  The High Commissioner placed emphasis on the need for Nigeria to focus on the provision of productive employment for its youth, noting that Nigeria’s greatest resource is its young people.

Speaking  on the topic ‘’Canada- Nigeria: Our Future Together’’, the Canadian High Commissioner identified human capacity as the pillar of the Canadian-Nigerian relationship, pointing out that developing human capacity relies on the provision of quality health care and education. Canada is partnering with the Nigerian government to achieve some of its important health care needs, including maternal and child health care, through the commitment of funds to these goals.

Educational partnership, according to him, can take the form of Nigerians going to Canada to access quality college and university education or through Canadians assisting with education in Nigeria via the use of technology .This, he explained, can take the form of distance learning through the use of cell phones, which colleges in Canada already employ to provide better education for their students.

The Canadian envoy suggested collaboration between educators and employers to ensure that the country plans ahead to meet employment requirements. In Canada associations of employers work with colleges to determine how many people need to be trained and graduating each year, to ensure that employers needs are met and that graduates find work in their chosen fields.

Canada is supporting Nigeria’s human capital development, he observed, because it is the right thing to do, as good global citizens, and because it is the best way to strengthen economic and people-to-people ties which are essential for a mid-size open trading nation like Canada. Canada sees Nigeria as truly emerging, with economic growth rates not different from India’s.

Mr. Cooter said greatly expanded Canada-Nigeria commercial cooperation is essential in sectors such as the environmental cleanup in the Niger Delta, aviation and aviation air safety, services to the government, IT and education, areas where Canada is already involved in Nigeria. He pointed out areas in which Canada could do more: electricity and mining, agriculture, food processing, railways and urban mass transit, all areas in which Canada has expertise and Nigeria has great need.

Mr. Cooter called for concerted efforts by all to deter criminals and corruption.  He noted that weak governance, terrorism and poor infrastructure deter foreign investment from Canada. Nigerians should take responsibility both as individuals as members of the society and work together to create a successful ethnically and geographically diverse nation. View Gallery