The Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) on Thursday disclosed that there is a similarity between Borno State and South Korea.
The statement was made by the KOICA Country Director, Woo Chan Chang during a courtesy visit to Maiduguri on Wednesday
Chang, who was in the company of Ms Ulla Mueller, Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), was warmly received by Borno Governor, Babagana Zulum.
The KOICA country director stated that he was in the state to assess the impact of KOICA’s support and see how he could further liaise in areas of family planning and investment on people and agriculture.
He added that “there is a similarity between Borno and South Korea.
“After the three-year civil war in Korea, many World Bank economists said it would take 100 years for Korea to recover, but we surprised the world by achieving economic development within 30 years.
“The development I saw in Borno is more than I expected. I wonder how this gentleman (Zulum) is making things work,” he said.
Chang further reassured that both KOICA and UNFPA will continue to work toward providing humanitarian assistance to women, girls, displaced and vulnerable people in the state.
NAN reported that the director, who also promised to share his three days experience in Borno with the Korean Ambassador, lauded the resilience of the people and the government’s transformation programmes in spite of security challenges.
On his part, Zulum said that the people of Borno would remain grateful to the fund and the Korean agency.
He said “I want to show appreciation to UNFPA and KOICA on behalf of the government and people of Borno for their contributions, particularly in the area of increasing access to comprehensive maternal and child healthcare.
“We remain grateful to all of you,” he added.
The governor observed that the activities of UNFPA and KOICA were in line with his administration’s 25-year development plan, noting that there was need for close collaboration to ensure sustainability and seamless transition when KOICA’s four years intervention came to an end in the state.
