The University of Lagos (UNILAG) on Monday, September 7, 2026, hosted a high-level delegation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to explore possible collaboration under JICA’s Africa-Japan Initiative for Science, Technology and Innovation Partnership in Higher Education (AJ-INSPIRE).
The delegation, which included representatives from JICA Headquarters in Tokyo and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya, was received by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade T. Ogunsola, OON, FAS, alongside other Principal Officers of UNILAG.
Speaking on behalf of the visiting team, Mr. Stephen Nwanya, Programme Coordinator for Education at JICA, 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 on basic and secondary education, and described the outreach to UNILAG as part of a renewed drive to extend partnerships to the tertiary education sub-sector.
Also speaking, Dr. Okano Takase, Senior Advisor for the Higher Education Sector at JICA Headquarters, gave an overview of the AJ-INSPIRE initiative. He explained that the initiative was launched during the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), held in Yokohama, Japan, from August 20 to 22, 2025.
He explained that the initiative is currently driven by three hub universities: the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), JKUAT, and Stellenbosch University, which are leading collaborative research in energy, food value chains, and water/climate change respectively.
Dr. Okano outlined three broad areas of proposed collaboration with the University of Lagos. These areas are:
- Participation of UNILAG researchers in existing hub-led research programmes,
- Involvement in new research groups being planned in artificial intelligence and aerospace engineering, and
- Direct collaboration between UNILAG and JKUAT.
Responding, Professor Ogunsola welcomed the delegation and highlighted areas of existing strength at UNILAG that align with the proposed partnership. She cited the University’s ongoing work in agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, and urban agriculture, as well as its involvement in artificial intelligence through the UNDP-funded AI UniPod, the NITDA AI Hub, and existing collaborations with institutions such as MIT.
Professor Ogunsola also noted UNILAG’s existing linkages with Stellenbosch University through the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), and expressed optimism that the visit would open the door to deeper and sustained collaboration among the University of Lagos, JICA, and partner institutions across Africa.
The visit concluded with an exchange of gifts between both institutions, symbolising goodwill and mutual commitment to the partnership. The delegation was thereafter taken on a tour of key research and innovation hubs across the University, including facilities focused on artificial intelligence and technology-driven solutions.
Report: Lynda Onah
Photograph: Ayomide Oloyede
