TICAD 9 will be a milestone in relations

What are Japan’s main objectives for TICAD 9 in terms of strengthening its partnerships with African countries, considering Japan’s significant role in Africa’s development over the past years and the increasing competition from the US, European, and Asian nations? Which specific sectors or industries will Japan prioritise in its co-operation with African nations, particularly in areas such as investment, infrastructure, technology, and innovation?

TICAD is not merely a bilateral platform between Africa and Japan. It is rather a multilateral forum and platform. For example, TICAD includes multilateral partners with co-organisers such as the African Union Commission, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa and the World Bank. While Japan is a driving force to organise TICAD, its essence lies in multilateral partnerships, fostering exchanges of views, bringing and catalysing new ideas and opportunities for collaboration. Japan strives to stand out by strengthening TICAD’s uniqueness: its inclusiveness, multilateral nature, and openness.

Now, returning to your question on Japan’s diplomatic engagement with Africa: we have been supporting regional integration and cooperation in the continent while taking a tailor-made approach in respective countries and regions. TICAD tries to address the interrelation of peace and security, economic development, and social development. Our overarching vision is to promote human-centred prosperity through a sustainable and inclusive economic system.

For example, Japan has been implementing various projects worldwide through JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). For TICAD 9, our approach is to co-create initiatives together with our African partners, while also engaging with interested global stakeholders to mobilise resources, including domestic resource mobilisation for implementing and scaling innovative ideas and projects. We aim to share best practices and collectively generate impactful solutions.

Regarding societal development, Japan, despite having limited natural resources, has always prioritised human capital development.

From this perspective, investment in people including our support for improved access to education and health services, namely realisation of universal health coverage (UHC), remains one of our main priorities. We also promote innovation by drawing on technologies and ideas alike. Our projects are aligned with these priorities.

In parallel, we emphasise human security, a concept and guiding principle for development that focuses on every individual being able to realise a life free of fear and want.

However, we remain humble and recognise that our past achievements should not make us complacent. It is essential to listen to African countries and their people to fully grasp their evolving needs and challenges including more effective use of innovation such as digital technologies and AI.

Given Japan’s past achievements in Africa, how do you see the future of Japan-Africa relations, particularly as Africa is projected to have the youngest and largest population in the world?

Africa’s demographic transformation is remarkable. I often highlight two key observations: Africa is one, yet diverse. While the continent is integrating, especially under the African Union’s leadership, it remains deeply diverse; and secondly, in 2050 one-third of the world’s youth population between 15 and 24 years old will be African.

This makes Africa an immediate and strategic partner for the global community, including Japan. No global solutions will be conceivable without meaningful participation of African people, particularly youth. We need more inclusive global governance, sharing more responsibility with Africa to find common grounds and co-create solutions for global challenges.

We try to correctly understand Africa and to align with the African Union Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our credo is that our ideas should be, to the extent possible, substantiated with human capital development programmes and collaboration with the private sector that promotes homegrown and self-sustained solutions.

In the past Japan contributed to Africa’s prosperity through various development programmes, which were the focus of TICAD in the first place. As times have changed, so have the themes at TICAD. African countries then added new aspirations such as business, investment, trade, industrialisation and employment.

So we have reflected this shifting focus in the TICAD agenda. But on top of that, what I have in mind for TICAD 9 is to put forward this new spirit and modus operandi: co-creation of innovative solutions together, so that we can tackle both African priorities and the global issues together with solutions-oriented outcomes in mind.

We have also been prioritising empowerment and unleashing the potential of youth and women. One key initiative is the ABE Initiative (African Business Education Initiative for Youth), which provides youths from Africa with opportunities to study business and industry know-how and gain internships in Japanese companies.

These youths serve as crucial bridges between Africa and Japan, fostering long-term economic and cultural ties. This initiative, which has been in existence for the last ten years, embodies our commitment to youth mobility and human capital development. That said, the relationship between Japan and Africa is becoming more multi-layered. We seek to diversify and expand our exchange programmes between Japan and African countries including some new opportunities in mutually developing cultural exchanges and the potential of more cooperation in the creative industry.

What strategies will be employed to encourage more Japanese companies to invest in Africa, particularly in industries critical to both economic and social development?

Inclusive and sustainable economic growth is key to achieving a prosperous Africa. Japan is adopting a multi-pronged approach. Firstly, by enhancing information access to opportunities in Africa. One of the main barriers for Japanese businesses is the difficulty in obtaining accurate information about African markets and industrial ecosystems.

Japan is working to bridge this gap through embassies, JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), JICA and business networks. In this regard, cooperation from African countries to ensure open, rule-based predictable and level-playing markets and disclose accurate information on the business environment including taxation and regulations, is key.

Secondly, by providing financial and risk mitigation tools to incentivise companies to help decide strategic investment in Africa by localising Japanese technologies and know-how. Japan is strengthening accompanying mechanisms such as support for feasibility studies and trade insurance through institutions like NEXI (Nippon Export and Investment Insurance) to reduce business uncertainties. Thirdly, together with African countries and institutions, we continue to promote an inclusive and sustainable ecosystem with flourishing private sector and caring governance for people.

Additionally, we are facilitating public-private partnerships (PPPs) and promoting sustainable finance and investment in key sectors, including high-quality infrastructure in the renewable energy and water sectors, in which the Japanese private sector shows its strong interest.

We are also paying special attention to promoting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups to explore African markets. In this regard, I am encouraged by Japanese young entrepreneurs’ many innovative ideas to develop new African-born business solutions to economic and social challenges.

How does Japan plan to enhance its trade and investment relations with Africa, and what are the expected outcomes in terms of increasing Japan’s economic footprint?

Japan needs Africa, just as Africa needs Japan. Africa is becoming increasingly important as a market, supplier, and investment destination for Japan. Given Africa’s growing young population and economic potential, Japan aims to expand bilateral investment treaties (BITs) with African nations. Japan has already concluded BITs with Egypt, Mozambique, Kenya, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire and Angola.

We have signed a BIT with Zambia, and are looking to extend these further, supporting the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), recognising its potential as a game-changer in regional trade integration and to encourage Japanese companies to establish stronger value chains in Africa, ensuring sustainable economic collaboration.

With regional integration in progress, Africa can be more connected, industrialised, and value-added within and beyond the continent, and can expect more value-added trade of African-made products to other regions including the Indo-Pacific. We need to nurture maritime connectivity and cross-regional value-chains, and mobility of human capital and technologies. Africa will become a centre of gravity of the world economy and global trends. Africa will be a new provider of solutions. We have to learn more from Africa.

Given current global challenges and geopolitical tensions, how will Japan continue to support African countries in areas such as peace and security, sustainability, green growth, education, and capacity-building?

Japan firmly believes in co-creating innovative solutions with Africa and the global community. Africa is the most left-behind and suffers the most from numerous global challenges, from climate change to security issues. This situation can be an opportunity for Africa to develop home-grown, future-oriented and innovative solutions.

Japan’s approach can include supporting such African-led solutions through partnerships with the AU peace and security operations and UN peacekeeping operations, investing in green energy such as hydrogen and renewable, sustainable environmental resilience such as circular waste management and disaster prevention projects; and strengthening vocational training, university collaborations in human exchanges and joint scientific researches, and skill development initiatives.

What are the long-term expectations from TICAD 9, and what measurable outcomes can Africa anticipate?

TICAD 9 marks a shift toward mutual learning and co-creation. Japan aims to move beyond traditional aid models by focusing on solution-oriented and business-driven partnerships, enhancing knowledge-sharing to leverage Africa’s indigenous expertise and co-develop solutions to global challenges, thus ensuring Africa’s increasingly critical role in shaping the future. Japan is committed to further strengthening cooperation with African countries to strengthen global governance and resolve global issues.

How do you plan to effectively communicate TICAD 9’s vision to African stakeholders to ensure broad participation and impact?

Japan’s message is clear: “Let’s do it together, ‘made with Japan’; let’s make a solution with ‘made with Japan’. Make an innovation happen with ‘made with Japan’.”

In the past, Japan was known for “Made in Japan” products, but today, it is about collaborating to co-create shared value. Japanese expertise in technology, disciplined human capital development such as the Kaizen (“continuous improvement” in Japanese) concept and innovation is available for Africa.

Through strategic communication, partnerships and media outreach, we aim to ensure that TICAD 9 marks a new milestone in Japan-Africa relations and strengthening cooperation-based multilateralism at a changing global environment, feeding into the outcomes of the first-ever African G20 Summit in South Africa.