Japan-Africa development partnership could not have come at a better time, according to Dahabshiil Chief Executive Officer Abdirashid Duale who participated in the Conference.
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President Yoweri Museveni yesterday held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa at the sidelines of the Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development (TICADVI).
He says it will also help open more investment and partnership opportunities for companies in Africa and encourage other worldwide investors to do business in the continent.
Announcing the plan at the two-day conference that brought together more than 20 African heads of states, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised to focus on key economic areas that will benefit the African continent.
Mr. Shinzo Abe, Japanese Prime Minister, while attending the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI), explained that from the point of view of responding to African ownership, Japan will support Africa in realizing Agenda 2063, and to that end, proposed moving boldly ahead with “investing for the future” of Africa, including infrastructure and human resources development. “When combined with investment from the private sector, I expect that the total will amount to $30 billion”.
Japan-Africa Trade amounted to United States dollars 24 billion in 2015 compared to USD 180 billion for China-Africa trade.
A statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the president, said the Japanese Government had pledged to expend $40 billion to boost the African economies in the next four years.
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The conference was launched in 1993 by the government of Japan with the intention of refocusing worldwide attention on the importance and urgency of African development issues as well as to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners. It has created job opportunities for thousands and Duale says partnerships like TICAD will open more opportunities for employment.
