The United Kingdom and Nigeria will collaborate to improve the education sector, it was learnt yesterday.
The process will be driven by Insight Africa UK and the British Department for International Trade.
They will discuss the state of education in Nigeria and work toward forging a mutually beneficial relationship with UK universities, a British High Commission official said.
Communications Manager of British Deputy High Commission Mr Wale Adebanjo, in a statement in Abuja yesterday, said discussions would be held at the launch of Insight Africa UK Nigeria, to be hosted at the British High Commission in Abuja, on Tuesday, October 4.
He said the aim of the collaboration was to make quality education and training affordable and accessible to all.
Adebanjo said the collaboration would “help to improve the quality of health care through quality training for health care providers, and link Nigerian institutions with reputable universities from the UK to explore areas of collaboration.’’
He said Insight Africa UK was working with some British universities to deliver services to specific countries in Africa and extend advisory services and training to stakeholders in education and training.
According to Adebanjo, the areas of particular interest are teacher training and re-training of teachers, continuous professional development, internship and exchange programme.
Others are study tour, trans-national education partnership, fly in faculty, joint venture and research and dual, joint, double and concurrent degrees.
Adebanjo quoted Ms Ralueke Parkin, Executive Director, Insight Africa UK, as saying, “we are looking forward to start our work in Nigeria.
“Our services are a new avenue for educational institutions, entrepreneurs, leaders and stakeholders in Nigeria and Britain to connect and seek results in collaborative approaches.’’
He also quoted James Wharton, Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State at the Department for International Development, as saying that ‘’Nigeria’s success truly matters to the UK and to Africa as a whole.
“As an outward-looking, globally engaged nation, I want to deepen the broad range of support and assistance the UK provides Nigeria, including in health, education and economic reform.”