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| | Director-General of UNESCO on official visit to Nigeria (18 - 20 November 2002)
17-11-2002 - ODG/SP/78 -
The Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, is carrying out an official visit to Nigeria, from 18 to 20 November 2002, at the invitation of President Olusegun Obasanjo. |
On 18 November, the President of Nigeria and the Director-General of UNESCO reviewed past cooperation between the Organization and Nigeria. In a joint communiqué, President Obasanjo and the Director-General reaffirmed their resolve to pursue the cooperation established under the Special Plan of Action, on the basis of resolution 56 adopted at the 30th session of UNESCO’s General Conference and spelt out in the Aide-Mémoire signed in Paris in February 2000.
After highlighting the exemplary character of the cooperation established between Nigeria and the Organization, financed mainly from Japanese extrabudgetary funds, it was agreed that this cooperation should be pursued in several areas.
Concerning Basic Education, the importance of networking institutions and creating centres of excellence was reaffirmed. In the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, emphasis was placed on learning, teacher training and the use of new technologies. A feasibility study on a Nigerian Virtual Library for Universities was also discussed. Preventive education as a means of combating HIV/AIDS remains a priority and UNESCO has undertaken to help Nigeria launch an HIV/AIDS national awareness-raising and mobilization campaign.
In the field of Science and Technology, UNESCO intends to provide assistance to the Ministry of Science in analysing the performance of the different federal institutions responsible for science and technology issues.
Numerous activities are planned in support of the development of Nigerian natural cultural policy, notably with regard to heritage and the Slave Route.
On the occasion of his visit, addressing Parliamentarians, Mr Matsuura welcomed the creation of a Forum of Parliamentarians for Education congratulating them on this “promising initiative” and noting that, “it is particularly important that legislators and representatives elected by the people take a special interest in education.”
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Office of the Spokesperson
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