From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
At the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) held in Yokohama, Japan, President Bola Tinubu, while presenting Nigeria’s statement, emphasised that inclusivity, diversity, and the rule of law remain Nigeria’s greatest strengths—key pillars that have underpinned national progress and stability.
He praised the Nigerian Armed Forces for their remarkable victories against insurgency and criminality, underscoring their heroism as a springboard for national development.
According to a statement by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu highlighted the administration’s dual approach to security challenges, combining the strengthening of security apparatus with economic reforms aimed at tackling the root causes of terrorism. “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,” he said.
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He lamented that many African countries continue to face conflicts, despite some progress, but noted encouraging developments such as recent peace pacts in the Congo, which link mediation success to economic incentives. “We should be under no illusions about the scale of our task. But neither should we underestimate the successes we have had… mediators directly linking outcomes to investment in Congo. It is working and underlines the need for fresh thinking in everything we do to deliver peace and stability,” Tinubu remarked.
Calling for a shift from aid dependency to market-driven cooperation and partnerships, he urged international allies, including Japan, to support African agency and reforms.
He appealed particularly for backing in the ongoing campaign for reforms in the United Nations Security Council to grant African countries fairer representation, stating: “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. Africa also deserves additional seats in the non-permanent seat category of the Security Council, as encapsulated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.”
President Tinubu also underscored the role of technology and information in fostering peace and cooperation. He called for international collaboration to ensure technology becomes a tool for unity rather than division.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, on his part, pledged substantial support for Africa’s development, announcing a collaborative economic framework between Japan and the African Development Bank that will mobilise up to $5.5 billion in investments, leveraging Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) private sector investment finance as a catalyst.
Ishiba stressed the importance of co-creation and locally rooted solutions, focusing on private sector-led sustainable growth, youth and women empowerment, and regional integration.
He remarked on Japan’s demographic challenges, such as a declining population and shrinking agricultural land, and highlighted the opportunity in Africa’s burgeoning youthful population. “There is so much growing young population in Africa, but for the power of young people in Africa to flourish, you need to create a manufacturing industry and create employment…,” he said.
PM Ishiba’s vision for Africa’s development included an “Indian Ocean and Africa economic zone initiative” to expand trade and investment, coupled with plans to cultivate 30,000 artificial intelligence experts over the next three years to drive industrial digitalisation and job creation.
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