• Held since 1993, Tokyo pledged $30 billion in investment in African aid at last Tokyo International Conference on African Development

• Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba proposes creating 'economic zone' linking Indian Ocean region and Africa

ISTANBUL

Japan is hosting a three-day development conference for African nations, aiming to tap into the economic potential of the continent, where longtime rival China is gradually increasing its presence.

The 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) hosts representatives, including presidents, prime ministers, and foreign ministers from nearly 50 African nations in Yokohama, near the capital Tokyo.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba proposed creating an "economic zone" linking the Indian Ocean region and Africa, according to a report by Kyodo News.

He pledged to train 30,000 experts in artificial intelligence from Africa over the next three years and announced a new framework involving governments, industries, and academia to support free trade.

Ishiba said Japan will share its digital expertise to "co-create solutions" to Africa's challenges.

The courses will be offered at scores of universities in Kenya, Uganda, and other countries, focusing on fields such as manufacturing, agriculture, and logistics.

He emphasized regional and cross-regional connectivity, saying: "I will launch an Indian Ocean-Africa economic zone initiative" to boost integration and industrial growth.

Japan would also train some 35,000 personnel in health and medicine.

Japan has been leading TICAD since 1993, co-hosted by the UN Development Program (UNDP), World Bank, and African Union Commission. It was last held in Tunisia in 2022.

During the conference in 2022, Tokyo also pledged $30 billion in investment in African aid, then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a joint news conference.

Separately, China has been organizing its own Forum on China-Africa Cooperation since 2000 and expanding its presence on the resource-rich continent, notably through its Belt and Road Initiative.

Japan maintains diplomatic ties with all 54 UN-recognized African nations as partners in its diplomacy and cooperation. All of them are also part of TICAD, according to Tokyo’s Foreign Ministry.

In 2021, bilateral trade between Japan and Africa reached 2.58 trillion yen ($23.5 billion), with Tokyo mainly exporting vehicles and machinery while importing minerals, raw materials, and food, according to a report from Tokyo's Foreign Ministry.

As of October 2021, 927 Japanese companies were operating in Africa, particularly in South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, and Nigeria, focusing on manufacturing, retail, services, and construction.

Japan's assistance

Japan provides aid through the Official Development Assistance, NGOs, and joint public–private initiatives, according to the report from Japan’s Foreign Ministry.

It has contributed billions of dollars to African health systems, including COVID-19 vaccine support, UHC (universal health coverage), HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis programs.

Through the TICAD, Japan has also pledged assistance for infrastructure, education, agriculture, and peacebuilding, the report said.

Its projects included building schools in Senegal, road rehabilitation in Ghana, electricity access in Tanzania, nutrition programs in Ghana, and hygiene initiatives in Uganda.

Japan’s cooperation with Africa spanned several areas such as economic growth and trade, resource development, poverty eradication, health care improvement, education, fostering peace and stability via governance reforms, police training, and peacekeeping support.

It also included driving infrastructure development such as roads, energy, strengthening human resources through skills transfer and youth and women’s empowerment, fighting the adverse effects of climate change, and deepening cultural exchange to enhance mutual understanding.