President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Japan yesterday ahead of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), which opens in Yokohama tomorrow.
The President’s aircraft landed at Haneda International Airport, Tokyo, around 12:55 a.m. local time on Tuesday. He was received by Ambassador Hideo Matsubara, Japan’s envoy in charge of TICAD. Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, was also on the delegation.
TICAD9, themed “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa,” will run from Wednesday to Friday. The conference will focus on accelerating Africa’s economic transformation through private investment, innovation, and stronger institutions.
During the meeting, President Tinubu is expected to participate in plenary sessions, hold bilateral talks with world leaders, and meet Japanese business executives, including those with existing or potential investments in Nigeria.
TICAD was launched in 1993 by the Japanese government and is co-hosted by the United Nations, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the African Union Commission (AUC) and the World Bank. It is held every three years, alternating between Japan and Africa. The last edition took place in Tunisia in 2022.
After the close of TICAD9, President Tinubu will proceed to Brazil for a state visit from August 24 to 25 at the invitation of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
While in Brazil, he will hold bilateral talks with his host, attend a Nigeria–Brazil Business Forum, and witness the signing of agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen economic cooperation between both countries.
