Africa is moving from aid reliance to self-sustainability with support from Japan and other development partners. The Royal African Society (RAS) yesterday hosted an event to highlight the growing influence of Japan in African affairs.
The event – entitled “Japan & Africa: A new kind of relationship?” –was held in association with the Government of Japan as a pre-cursor to the 6th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI), which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya from 27-28 August. It will be the first ever TICAD summit to be held in Africa.
The event featured two renowned practitioners in international development, who discussed the future of Africa. Prof Akihiko Tanaka, University of Tokyo and former President of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), appeared in conversation with Charles O. Boamah, CFO and Vice President of the African Development Bank.
Prof Tanaka said: “Throughout the period since Japan started the TICAD process in 1993, Japan has consistently worked closely with the governments and peoples of Africa for sustainable and inclusive development.”
He said he believes that African countries will become invaluable to Japan in the coming decades, as growing business partners with huge market potential.
Prof Tanaka spelt out his four point plan for Africa as Sustainable growth – what is consumed in Africa should be produced in Africa; Inclusive development – the importance of economic infrastructure; Good governance as an accelerator of growth; and Security – while the number of civil wars have decreased, people are still at risk from terrorism and violence.
“TICAD VI is happening in less than a year after important global agreements on Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Change, Boamah said. “Arguably the greatest opportunities for positive actions to meet these global targets are in Africa, which is why deeper and innovative relationships with development partners such as Japan will be critical.”
Japan has now maintained a commitment to promoting peace and stability in Africa through collaborative partnerships for over twenty years. The emphasis of this partnership has always been on African ownership of Africa’s future and ensuring that global commitments from the international community are upheld.
The RAS is Britain’s leading African organisation with global reach. Now more than 100 years old, it fosters a better understanding of Africa in the UK and throughout the world.
TICAD is a conference held every three years in Japan with the objective of promoting high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners. It has maintained an evolving role in Japan’s long-term commitment to fostering peace and stability in Africa through collaborative partnerships and has been in existence since 1993.
