Japan offers scholarship to Ghanaian workers

“The human resource development scholarship for the year 2019,” will offer the opportunity for 10 young government officials to undergo a two-year master’s degree programme in universities in Japan after which they would come back home to help formulate and implement social and economic development policies for the country.

Agreement

The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Tsutomu Himeno, and a deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mr Charles Owiredu, signed an agreement to that effect in Accra.

The scholarship programme was introduced in 2012 to provide government officials scholarship to obtain masters degrees in Japanese universities in economics, health, agriculture and energy. So far, a total of 55 Ghanaians have benefited from the programme.

Rationale

The Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Tsutomu Himeno, said the basis for the support was as a result of the existing good relations between the two countries.

He recalled the visit by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to Japan last December and said the relationship between Ghana and Japan was progressive.

The Ambassador hinted that President Akufo-Addo, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, would visit Japan again in August, 2019, to participate in a Japan-Africa Development conference to further boost bilateral relations between the two countries.

Mr Himeno also expressed the hope that the scholarship programme would help realise President Akufo-Addo’s vision of a Ghana beyond aid policy.

Significance

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration said the agreement would enhance the bond of friendship and cooperation the two countries had shared over the years.

“Ghana has received various forms of assistance from Japan in areas of infrastructure development, agriculture, energy, education and health.

Japan has also championed Ghana’s development agenda through grants in economic and social development projects amounting to $2.73 million which was signed in February this year,” he added.

The minister underscored the importance of human resource development which, he said, was essential for nation building.

He expressed appreciation to the government of Japan for their support over the years and gave an assurance that the grants would yield positival results.

JICA

The Resident Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Mr Hirofumi Hoshi, said the beneficiaries, aside from the main course, would also have the opportunity to learn about Japan’s modernisation and development experiences.

He mentioned the exploits of past beneficiaries of the scholarships and expressed the hope that the current crop of beneficiaries would return to take up leadership roles in Ghana.