Chukwudi Enekwechi
The seventh session of Tokyo International Conference on Africa’s Development TICAD 7 recently ended in Yokohama, Japan with the participation of fifty-three African countries including Nigeria, European Union and other development partners. The theme of the conference revolved around technological cooperation between Japan and Africa, People and Innovation, and provided solutions to myriad of developmental issues affecting African countries.
Japan is notable to have strong human resource base as well as capacity in science, technology and innovation, and with these available resources Japan intends to boost Africa’s development through agreed multilateral assistance.
It is instructive to note that TICAD 6 held in 2016 in Nairobi, Kenya and the leaders used the opportunity of the Tokyo conference to consolidate on the gains of their earlier deliberations.
There is no doubt that the multilateral cooperation between Japan and African countries is desirable and timely considering the vantage position Japan occupies globally, not only as a member of the Group of Seven most industrialised countries, but as a technologically advanced and prosperous country.
Today, Japan’s technological innovations in different areas dot the landscape of most developed and developing countries including Nigeria. A typical example is the Toyota vehicles that dominate Nigerian roads.
In simple terms, the existing collaboration between Japan and Nigeria will result in shared prosperity if we learn and take advantage of their technological know-how. In this connection, the issue of transfer of technology from Japan to developing African countries like Nigeria is not only desirable but compelling if our citizens can be liberated from the shackles of poverty and lack of knowledge.
At the conference so many milestones were attained by Nigeria, key of which is the commitment of Japan’s Bank for International Development to provide funds for Japanese companies operating in Nigeria. Also, the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe donated three hundred thousand dollars to the Nigerian Defence College, as well as a pledge by a subsidiary of Toyota Corporation, Toyota Shusho to build a world class diagnostic centre in Nigeria. On completion the well-equipped centre will serve as an alternative for most Nigerians travelling abroad for medical attention.
So in the final analysis the 7th Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development opened several windows of opportunities, cooperation and collaboration between Nigeria and Japan. Japan is also using the organisation of the conference to open its doors of prosperity to African countries, thereby playing a laudable role in the global arena which can be comparable to United States, United Kingdom, European Union and China.
With the slogan ‘Africa and Yokohama, sharing passion for the future’ the seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development had in attendance over 10,000 participants from fifty-three African countries, fifty-two development partner countries and 108 international organisations apart from the public and private sector groups and non-governmental organisations.
It is pertinent to remark that the overall theme of the conference was “advancing Africa’s Development through People, Technology, and Innovation”. The three days conference ended with the Yokohama Declaration 2019 and 2019 Yokohama Action Plans.
While the Tokyo International Conference on African Development is an international conference led by the Japanese government, but it is co-sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme, African Union Commission and the World Bank.
It is instructive to note that TICAD’s 4 and 5 had held successfully in Yokohama, Japan in 2008 and 2013. The seventh session of TICAD was designed to create a future where Yokohama grows together with Africa through cooperation with the private, public and academic sectors utilising opportunities offered by the conference.
One of the thematic areas “expanding international technological cooperation” has the potential to promote technological acquisition by African Youth.
On the strength of this cooperation, Yokohama had received 574 trainees from 47 African countries and equally sent 77 Yokohama city staff members to thirteen African countries for technological cooperation. Some of the areas the Yokohama city through the instrumentality of TICAD is assisting Africa include waterworks, waste management, development of ports facilities among others.
The attendance by the president with a high powered delegation helped Nigeria to tap into the numerous benefits from the Japanese government European Union and development partners. Worthy of mention was the pledge of fifty million dollars for the war- ravaged North East region by the European Union. On the whole the cooperation between Japan and Nigeria, and indeed Africa under the auspices of Tokyo International Conference for Africa Development is a win win engagement which must be sustained.
It is instructive also that in the short, medium and long terms the collaboration and synergy being witnessed between Japan and Africa will open the continent to economic and technological growth which has not been achieved after several decades of relations with the west.
Enekwechi writes from Abuja