The Czech Republic has expressed its readiness to partner with the University of Ibadan (UI) and Southwest Nigeria to evolve models that will engender development in various sectors, especially in education, in Nigeria.
Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Czech Republic in Nigeria, Martin Cech and Prof. Jan Zahorik from the University of West Bohemia of the country, gave the assurance during a colloquium organised by the Embassy in collaboration with the premier university.
The colloquium, which took place in the Trenchard Hall of the university, had many personalities in attendance including officials from the Czech Republic, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Peter Olapegba; the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Aderonke Baiyeroju and a host of others.
In his remarks, Cech said that the motivation for the programme was to birth mutually beneficial collaborations that would engender development. Cech said that more discussions that would preserve diversity and strengthen development would be initiated.
On his part, Zahorík, who is a professor of African Studies at the University of West Bohemia, said the education system and development models of the Czech Republic could be transplanted into Nigeria.
Resource persons at the colloquium, Professors Isaac Olawale Albert and Francis Egbokhare of the UI said Nigeria could learn a lot from Czech Republic. Albert said the colloquium was to forge a partnership between Nigeria and the Czech Republic and learn from its development models for sustainable development. On his part, Egbokhare said there is a lot to learn from the Czech Republic.
He urged the European country to look into Nigeria’s informal sector, which is the biggest in the country, for a sustainable relationship. Also speaking, Prof. Olatunji Oyeshile of the Department of Philosophy, who facilitated the event, urged Nigeria to learn the Czech Republic’s example by looking inward rather than looking elsewhere. Earlier, while declaring the colloquium open, Olapegba said no entity could be an island unto itself.
