Japan has signed a grant contract agreement worth N25.6 million (US$84,092) for the renovation and provision of equipment at the Nigerian Farmcraft Centre for the Blind.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The centre, located in Alimosho local government area of Lagos state, was established to carter for the visually impaired and thus, provide a conducive environment for their development, especially discovering their potentials. The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Aisha Abubakar signed the agreement on behalf of the federal government while Mr Shigeru Umetsu, Charge d’Affairs of Japan Embassy signed for his government.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Abuja, Abubakar said the grant would help in shaping the lives of the visually impaired by enhancing their learning capacities, thereby enabling them to improve on their living standards. She explained that the new grant would further deepen the existing ties between both countries, especially in rendering rehabilitation service delivery to persons with disability.
The minister said, “We seek for the support of the renovation of the six Braille centres and libraries in the six geo political zones of the country as the ministry plans to reposition them for better service delivery.” The embassy’s Charge d’Affairs stated that the Japanese government has implemented 164 projects that has gulped $11 Million across Nigeria.
Its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP), he said the project for the renovation of the blind centre in Lagos was the 165th in the history of GGP. Umetsu expressed the optimism that the project would enhance the socio-economic development of the visually impaired as well as broaden the relations between Nigeria and Japan.
He said the embassy has mounted an effective monitoring mechanism to ensure that funds are not misused. GGP projects, according to him, were adopted based on their impact on selected communities and the partners’ preparedness to implement them.