By Blessing Bature
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has stressed the need for development cooperation in Nigeria to go beyond completed projects and activities to deliver lasting and sustainable impact for communities and institutions.
KOICA Country Director, Mr Eunsub Kim, stated this at the 2026 KOICA Media Engagement Forum, themed “Showcasing KOICA’s Development Impact in Nigeria,” where the agency highlighted its development partnership with Nigeria and the impact of its programmes across various sectors.
The Country Director said development cooperation should focus on addressing real needs and creating lasting change, noting that its value could be seen in the skills acquired, opportunities created, institutions strengthened and solutions developed through various interventions.
According to the Director, KOICA has partnered with the Nigerian Government and other stakeholders over the years in areas including education, agriculture, governance, digital transformation, entrepreneurship and skills development.
The agency highlighted the Green Jobs for Youth in Resilient Agrifood Systems Programme, which supports young people with skills and opportunities for green employment and entrepreneurship.
Also highlighted was the Start-up Digital Innovation Academy Project, which is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s start-up and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises ecosystem.
In the education sector, KOICA said the Smart School Project Phase II, implemented with the Universal Basic Education Commission, supports teacher development, digital learning and technology-enabled education across 21 states.
The Digital Governance Project was also identified as part of KOICA’s efforts to strengthen digital governance in Nigeria through improved institutional systems and capacities.
The Country Director further disclosed that approximately 2,000 Nigerian government officials had benefited from the CIAT Fellowship Programme, which provides opportunities to strengthen knowledge and skills while learning from Korea’s development experience.
The Director said the various programmes represented only part of KOICA’s cooperation with Nigeria, stressing that the agency was increasingly focused on measuring the sustainability and impact of its interventions.
“More importantly, we recognise that the success of development cooperation should be measured not only by activities completed, but by the impact and sustainability of the results,” the Director said.
The Country Director described the media forum as an opportunity to share experiences, achievements and lessons from KOICA-supported programmes while hearing directly from government partners, beneficiaries and alumni.
The agency also called for stronger collaboration with the Nigerian media to ensure that development stories and the impact of cooperation programmes reach a wider audience.
The Director noted that many development stories across Nigeria deserved to be heard, adding that informed and constructive media engagement could help increase public understanding of development initiatives.
Senior Deputy Country Director of KOICA, Ki-hyun Balk, said KOICA has expanded its engagement with Nigerian scholarship beneficiaries through new platforms designed to share experiences, strengthen policy dialogue and promote the application of lessons from Korea in Nigeria.
He disclosed this at the 2026 KOICA Media Engagement Forum, noting that the agency launched the KOICA Dialogue podcast in 2025 to amplify the voices and experiences of its members.
As Nigeria and South Korea continue to strengthen their partnership, KOICA reaffirmed its commitment to supporting inclusive and sustainable development through partnerships that strengthen local capacities and expand opportunities.
The agency appreciated its government partners, development partners, beneficiaries, alumni and other stakeholders for their continued support, while recognising the media’s role in informing the Nigerian public.
The forum is expected to further strengthen KOICA’s relationship with Nigerian media practitioners and deepen conversations around the impact and sustainability of development cooperation in the country.
The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Aisha Garba, commended the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for its sustained support for education, digitalisation and capacity development in Nigeria.
She highlighted several KOICA-supported interventions and their contributions to Nigeria’s development, describing the smart-school project as a long-standing initiative aimed at using technology to improve learning and educate communities around project locations, noting that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Education Secretariat was considering expanding the project to the secondary school level.
According to her, the success of the initiative has encouraged efforts to extend its impact to more learners.
