President Bola Ahmed Tinubu touched down in Tokyo, Japan, in the early hours of Tuesday to participate in the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9).
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, President Tinubu’s arrival reaffirms Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation and forging innovative solutions to Africa’s pressing developmental challenges.
The high-level summit, which brings together African leaders, global development partners, and international stakeholders, is scheduled to take place from August 20 to 22, 2025, at the Pacifico Yokohama.
At exactly 12:50 a.m. local time, the presidential aircraft landed at Haneda International Airport, Tokyo.
President Tinubu was warmly received at the Presidential Wing by Ambassador Hideo Matsubara, Japan’s special envoy in charge of Haneda Airport for TICAD, alongside Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, and other senior officials of the Nigerian Embassy.
The Tokyo International Conference on African Development, established by the Japanese government in collaboration with the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Union Commission, and the World Bank, is held every three years.
The venue alternates between Japan and Africa, with Tunisia hosting the last edition in 2022.
This year’s TICAD, themed “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa”, will spotlight Africa’s economic transformation and the need to strengthen its institutional frameworks and business environment.
Particular emphasis will be placed on fostering private sector investment, advancing technological innovation, and building a resilient, sustainable society capable of ensuring human security, peace, and stability.
While in Japan, President Tinubu is expected to engage in bilateral talks with his counterparts and hold strategic sessions with chief executive officers of major Japanese corporations that currently operate in or plan to expand their investments in Nigeria.
His participation in these engagements is aimed at attracting fresh investments, deepening trade relations, and reinforcing Nigeria’s role as a gateway to Africa’s growth.