Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced a $5.5 billion collaborative support package for Africa, with Nigeria among the key beneficiaries. The pledge was unveiled at the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), held in Yokohama, Japan, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other African leaders in attendance.
The Japanese leader revealed that the funds, to be disbursed in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB), will focus on private sector-led sustainable growth, youth and women empowerment, and regional integration.
Ishiba explained that the initiative will leverage the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) private sector investment finance as a catalyst for Africa’s economic transformation.
“Japan is providing various cooperation and support for Africa. But first of all, Japan needs to know more about Africa.
Co-creating solutions is essential. At TICAD9, we focus on private sector-led growth, empowerment of youth and women, and stronger regional integration within and beyond Africa,” Ishiba said.
Prime Minister Ishiba emphasized that Africa’s youthful population presents an enormous growth opportunity, but only if countries can harness it through industrialization and job creation.
He urged African nations to prioritize manufacturing and value-added industries to complement agriculture and services, mirroring the economic evolution of Japan and other Asian countries.
“For the power of young people in Africa to flourish, you need to create a manufacturing industry and create employment.
Productivity in Africa’s manufacturing sector is key to realizing this potential,” Ishiba noted.
While highlighting Africa’s opportunities, Ishiba also pointed to Japan’s demographic challenges, including a declining population and shrinking agricultural land, which he said provide areas for mutual cooperation between both regions.
On his part, President Bola Tinubu used the platform to emphasize Nigeria’s commitment to tackling insecurity while strengthening democratic governance.
Speaking during the plenary on Peace and Stability, Tinubu commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for their recent gains against insurgency but stressed that addressing the root causes of insecurity remains a priority.
“Nigeria’s brave armed forces can win any number of battles, but we do justice to their heroism only when we, as government, are courageous in tackling not just terror, but also the underlying causes,” Tinubu stated.
He further urged African leaders to move beyond dependency on foreign aid and instead embrace market-driven partnerships that can deliver sustainable development across the continent.
In a strong diplomatic push, Tinubu called on Japan and other global powers to back Africa’s demand for reforms at the United Nations, particularly at the Security Council.
He reiterated Nigeria’s support for the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, which advocate for two permanent African seats with veto power and additional non-permanent seats.
“It is the view of Nigeria that Africa’s quest for fair and equitable representation in the UN Security Council is a just and fair demand.
Indeed, Africa deserves two seats in the Permanent Category, with all its prerogatives and privileges, including the Right of Veto,” Tinubu said.
Both leaders underscored the importance of partnerships rooted in mutual respect and shared interests.
Tinubu stressed that cooperation in technology, infrastructure, and human capital development must drive Africa’s future, while Ishiba called for deeper cultural and economic understanding between Japan and African nations.
Analysts say the $5.5 billion pledge reflects Japan’s strategic interest in Africa at a time when global powers, including China, the United States, and the European Union, are competing for stronger ties with the continent.
For Nigeria, the package could boost ongoing reforms in infrastructure, industrialization, and job creation under Tinubu’s administration.
The outcomes of TICAD9 are expected to shape a new phase in Africa-Japan relations, especially in the areas of trade, investment, and governance.
While Japan looks to Africa for markets and human capital, African leaders, including Tinubu, are pushing for fairer representation in global institutions and partnerships that deliver tangible development.
As the global spotlight turns to Africa’s economic potential, the commitments made in Yokohama could serve as a foundation for deeper collaboration and stronger geopolitical influence for the continent in the years ahead.
