Korean Ambassador Lectures the Academy

By: Ubong Edet

It was insightful, impacting and imparting as University of Calabar (Unical) receives the Ambassador of Republic of Korea to Nigeria, His Excellency Ambassador Noh Kyu-Duk who came for 2016 Biennial Lecture series.

The university management declared the day lecture-free for the academic community members to attend.

The lecture had the propensity of drawing people from far and near to the University the likes of the Prelate, Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (PCN), His Eminence, Most Rev. Prof. E. M. Uka and others too numerous to mention.

The Chairman of the event Prof. Chris Nwamoh, Director Center for Asian-African Studies Unical in his opening remarks welcomed Management, Staff and Students of the University to the 2016 Biennial Lecture Series of Ambassador of Republic of Korea.

Prof. Zana Akpagu, the Chief Host in his speech said “on behalf of the Governing Council, Senate, Management, Staffs and Students welcome His Excellency to University of Calabar. We are particularly delighted that you’ve chosen our University for your lecture.

“I want to quickly give credit to my predecessor Prof. Epoke for this initiative, for attracting very honorable and collaborative partners to this University”.

“I want to also thank His Excellency for choosing us; we are just one University among one hundred and eight (180) now in the nation. For us it’s a privilege. We also see it as some form of recognition; sometimes we tend to forget our work, so an occasion like this will help revive the dormant spirit in us. This is an opportunity to foster closer time with you, because Korea doesn’t have oil like Nigeria but one of the most developed countries in the world, all of these are achieved with the investment in human capital. We want to learn from you because even our oil is becoming a curse to us, for we’ve not been able to harness the benefit and transform our country to be like that of Dubai, Saudi Arabia or any of the developed states. This is so because we’ve missed from the starting point and thank you for choosing our students, for they are the future leaders.

As I told you earlier in the meeting we had behind closed doors in my office, I’ll be visiting you with a long shopping lists, for you to help us establish hydro-electrical project, we also want to establish Malabo FM, we want to introduce E-Learning so you can help us achieve all of these, due to your inclination in technologies., we are also going to establish the Korean Cultural Centre in the University so we want to collaborate with you to help us do Students/Lecturers exchange, so we can build a closer time with you and the Republic of South Korea. Once again, you are welcomed”.

Speaking on the topic, the underbelly of South Korea’s economic Development; Korea and Nigeria at 36, Korean Amassador dissects history revealing that Korea has a protracted challenge but in the challenge is a miracle that led to the economic glory.

A country born some decades ago among other Asian Tigers, Korea was in worst economic condition than Nigeria. However, with determination, Korea engineered the trajectory in their history that gave them the effrontery to pull out to greatness.

He said Korea’s economy suffered because of series of wars that eventually resulted in economic glory.

How can Nigeria spur up to economic glory? The elite adviced that the Nigerian can overcome oil curse to become top global economy in the world when the youths are equipped with updated skills and technologies, provided platforms for secured jobs. He adds that income should be effectively generated to reduce the high verve poverty to its barest minimum by the Nigerian government.

He expressed Korea’s readiness to partner with Nigeria in order to develop both countries.

“Why I chose to come to Nigeria again as Korean Ambassador to Nigeria is because Nigeria is the future of Africa”, he opined.

He likened Nigeria to Korea of yesteryears noting that “Korea started its journey of development in the 1960s and 1970s. From 1970 it went into Petroleum thereafter in 1980s delved into electricity.

The story is different for Korea today as “Korea produces 80,000 mega watts per day. We later went into Saemaul (New Village) Movement – Rural development, whereby the capital city gave funds and materials such as housing, road, bridges materials to rural environment to remove all the thatch houses and make good road network to help boost their economy.

“Today Korea is one of the largest in the world as regards ship building, Kia Automobile, Samsung, LG product to the Labour Market. Korea has nothing less than 50,000,000 populations”.

Nigeria’s friendliness with Korea is age long as Presidents of both countries visit themselves occasionally for business talks, seminars and signing of agreements.

President Chun visited Nigeria 1982 during Shagari’s regime. President Obasanjo went to Korea in the year 2000. President Roh came to Abuja in 2006; that was in Obasano’s regime. Obasanjo, the same year visited Korea. In 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan visited Korea for a Nuclear Security Summit. President Buhari visited Korea also in 2015.

Korea is establishing some project and companies in Nigeria such as Samsung Heavy Industries, FPSO, Hyundai Car Plant, Daewoo Nigeria Building Limited and Solar-Powered Internet School. Other establishments include Taekwondo Classes, K-Pop Dance Competition of which Nigeria won last year in Korea and that shows that Nigeria is indeed a nation embedded with much natural abilities.

Ambassor Noh Kyu-Duk disclosed that Korean government is making plans to establish E-Government System in Nigeria to help foster transparency in the government.