Hello everyone. I love to describe myself as someone that is solution oriented and passionate about African agricultural development. I am Ige Theresa from Nigeria. I love singing, playing chess and dancing. I came to study for my MSc in Japan in September 2015 under African Business Initiative Scholarship (ABE Initiative). I joined the laboratory of Tropical Crop Science in the department of International Agricultural Development. I graduated in March 2018. Studying in Japan afforded me the opportunity to understand other people’s culture and lifestyle. I had a great opportunity to learn under erudite Japanese professors and interacted with students from diverse countries. I had a view of the world from another perspective and that broadened my understanding of life opportunities and challenges.

Tokyo is a clean and well organized city, I enjoyed every day I spent in the busy, beautiful, and organized city of Tokyo. I have read about Japan as an undergraduate in my country that Japan does not have natural resources like petroleum, diamonds etc yet it is one of the most developed nations in the world. After my study in Japan, I realize that education is key to a nation’s development as the country of Japan has proved. I love Japanese people; they are kind and show understanding to strangers. Always willing to help whenever I asked them, ranging from colleagues in the department to just anyone on the street. Outside the university, I enjoyed attending International Christian Assembly church, where I joined the choir for Sunday ministrations.

I am working with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture as supervisor in the yam breeding unit. I wish to become a breeder, developing new crop varieties for the growing world population as well as combating hunger and poverty in the sub-Saharan Africa.