Foreign Affairs Minister Omer asks Japan to support Somalia’s education sector

Foreign affairs minister Abdusalam Omer has called on the Japanese government to support Somalia’s education sector through scholarships and vocational training.

Addressing the media in the sidelines of the ongoing Tokyo International Conference for African Development, TICAD in Nairobi, Omer said he impressed upon his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida to support Somalia in building its human resource to ensure the country can be dependent on skills necessary for growth.

The Minister added that the bilateral talks also touched on Japan’s support for the country’s security sector while thanking Japan for its support to the Somali police force.

Omer called on Japanese investors to invest in Somalia noting the country had abundant resources which could be tapped for mutual growth.

The conference which brought together 34 heads of states and governments across the continent seeks to address a number of cross cutting issues particularly infrastructure development, health, education among others.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told African leaders on Saturday that his country will commit $30 billion in public and private support for infrastructure development, education and healthcare expansion in the continent.

Abe said the package would be spread over three years from this year and include $10 billion for infrastructure projects, to be executed through cooperation with the African Development Bank.

“When combined with investment from the private sector, I expect that the total will amount to $30 billion. This is an investment that has faith in Africa’s future, an investment for Japan and Africa to grow together,” he told a gathering of more than 30 heads of state and government from across Africa.

The $30 billion announced on Saturday is in addition to $32 billion that Japan pledged to Africa over a five-year period at the last TICAD meeting in 2013. Abe said 67 percent of that had already been put to use in various projects.