The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has cancelled its “Africa Hometown” initiative, citing what it described as “misunderstandings and confusion” about the programme.
The decision was announced in a statement published on JICA’s website on Thursday, weeks after media reports suggested Japan would create a special visa category for Nigerians to relocate to Kisarazu, one of the municipalities linked to the initiative.
On August 26, the Federal Government had announced through the State House that Japan planned to introduce a special visa scheme for young and highly skilled Nigerians wishing to live and work in Kisarazu. But the Japanese government later denied the claim.
Clarifying the matter, JICA said the use of the word “hometown” and the impression that Japanese municipalities had been officially “designated” for Africans created confusion domestically and placed pressure on the four cities involved.
“Originally, under this initiative, it was envisioned that exchange programmes would be coordinated and implemented among the Japanese local governments, relevant African countries, and JICA,” the agency said.
“However, JICA believes that the very nature of this initiative namely, the term ‘hometown’ and the fact that JICA would ‘designate’ Japanese local governments as ‘hometowns’ led to misunderstandings and confusion within Japan, placing an excessive burden on the municipalities. JICA sincerely apologises to the municipalities involved for causing such situation.”
The initiative was unveiled in August during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development. It was meant to promote exchanges between four Japanese cities and four African countries through cultural and educational activities.
JICA stressed that it has never promoted immigration and has “no plans to do so in the future,” adding that it remains committed to supporting other forms of international cooperation.
The confusion heightened in August after Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Japan, Florence Akinyemi Adeseke, alongside Kisarazu’s Mayor, Yoshikuni Watanabe, publicly received a certificate designating the city as “hometown” to Nigerians.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan later clarified that while the project was meant to foster cultural and development exchanges, it did not involve immigration benefits or special visa categories.
