By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) advance team has visited the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) ahead of a survey mission for grant aid in Education, to finalize preparations for the construction of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) facility in the State.

The team was received by the Executive Chairman of Benue SUBEB, Dr. Grace Adagba at the Board’s Headquarters.

The Information Officer of the Board, Emmanuella Akese in statement explained that the visit marked a crucial step in the preparations for JICA’s grant aid support under its Effective School Programme (ESP) which aims to establish a model Science facility at the basic education level in the State.

Welcoming the delegation, Dr. Adagba expressed appreciation to JICA for selecting Benue as a beneficiary of the ESP, describing the gesture as a transformative opportunity for young Learners in the State.

“We are grateful for this support, and we are confident that the establishment of a STEM model school will help nurture the talents of our learners and inspire many of them to pursue careers in science and technology,” she said

The Executive Chairman also assured the team of the full support and commitment of Governor Hyacinth Alia in ensuring the success of the project, noting that “Governor Alia has consistently demonstrated unwavering dedication to the development of basic education in the State.”

Speaking, JICA’s Basic Education Advisor working with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Dr. Kusakabe Hikaru
explained that the purpose of the visit was to ensure that all necessary preparations and data-gathering processes were completed ahead of the official survey mission from JICA Headquarters, Tokyo.

The JICA Headquarters mission is expected in Benue State in September 2025 to conduct further evaluations as part of the grant approval process.”

Also speaking, the Programme Coordinator for Education at JICA, Mr. Stephen Nwanya emphasized that the team’s visit was to finalize infrastructure design plans for the proposed Model Science School, which would cater for both Primary and Junior Secondary School Learners.

“We are truly impressed by the commitment and progress we have seen here in Benue. The efforts of the Executive Chairman are commendable and reflect the sustainability potential of the project,” Nwanya said.

He added that JICA remains committed to supporting the Board and meeting some of its key demands for the successful implementation of the initiative.

Earlier, the JICA team visited St Theresa’s Primary and UBE JSS Makurdi, one of the Effective School Programme (ESP) Schools in the State, to conduct a preliminary survey and gather data relevant to the upcoming intervention.

The statement noted that the visit was one in the series of high-level engagements between JICA, UBEC, and Benue SUBEB, as the State moves closer to becoming a model for science-based basic education in Nigeria.