summary
Date: October 2, 2024
Co-organizers: JICA, African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD)
Location: JICA Takebashi Meeting Room and online (hybrid event)
Main Participants
Opening Remarks: Naoki Ando, Director, JICA
Keynote Speech:
Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Secretary of AUDA-NEPA
Amin Idris Adom, Director, Trade, Connectivity and Infrastructure, AUDA-NEPAD
Outline of TICAD 30th Anniversary Draft Report
Naoki Yanase, Director, Africa Division, JICA
Panel Discussion:
Shuhei Ueno, Deputy Director, Africa Division, JICA
Estelyn Fotabong, Director, Agriculture, Food Security and Environmental Sustainability, AUDA-NEPAD
Shuichi Nishino, Director, Africa First Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Motoki Takahashi, Professor, Kyoto University
Junpei Sunahara, Regional Integration Expert, AUDA-NEPAD (JICA Planning and Research Fellow)
Amani Guizani, Assistant Manager, Engineering and Design, GPSS (ABE Initiative graduate)
Participants
Approximately 100 in-person participants and 180 online participants
Background and Objectives
TICAD 9 is scheduled to be held in Yokohama in August 2025, and is expected to provide various opportunities for cooperation and co-creation for both Japan and Africa. TICAD9 is expected to provide various opportunities for cooperation and co-creation for both Japan and Africa.
Seizing the opportunity of the visit of the Director General of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) to Japan for the annual consultation between JICA and AUDA-NEPAD, as well as the 10th anniversary of the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between the two organizations, we held an open seminar to review the past cooperation and co-creation in the development field between Japan and Africa, and to discuss challenges and expectations for next year’s TICAD9 The open seminar was held to review the past cooperation and co-creation between Japan and Africa in the development field, and to discuss issues and expectations for next year’s TICAD9.
The seminar included an overview of the TICAD 30th Anniversary Report, which reviewed Agenda 2063, Africa’s development goals, and the achievements of the TICAD process over the past 30 years, as well as a panel discussion with representatives from JICA, AUDA-NEPAD, the Japanese government, former ABE Inni students active in Japan, and experts. A panel discussion was also held. The closing session was followed by the launch of the Japanese version of the 10-year implementation report of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) and the PIDA Priority Action Plan (PAP) Phase 2 Project Summary.
Contents
- opening remarks
At the beginning of the opening session, Mr. Naoki Ando, Executive Director of JICA, explained that 1) the importance of African ownership was pointed out at TICAD, which started in 1993, and that NEPAD (Partnership for Africa’s Development) was launched in 2001 as a realization of this, and that it has been succeeded by the current African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). 2) AUDA-NEPAD and JICA signed a memorandum of understanding on business collaboration in 2014, and this year marks the 10th anniversary of the memorandum, and 3) With TICAD 9 scheduled to be held next year, this seminar was held to review Japan-Africa cooperation together with AUDA-NEPAD. TICAD 9 is scheduled to be held next year.
Ando, JICA Director
Keynote Speech
Speech by Secretary Bekele-Thomas
Nardos Bekele Thomas, Director General of AUDA-NEPAD, stated that 1) Africa was a continent of crisis in the past, but is now a continent of growth, innovation, and opportunity; 2) foreign direct investment is increasing because of this, and funds are needed for further growth; and 3) Japan’s cooperation has produced many results. 3) Japan’s cooperation has produced many results. Next, Mr. Amin Idris Adom, Director General for Trade, Connectivity and Infrastructure, gave a presentation on the Africa Infrastructure Development Program (PIDA), an infrastructure development policy for the African continent promoted by AUDA-NEPAD.
Director of Trade, Connectivity and Infrastructure, Adm.
- Explanation of the outline of the draft report on the 30th anniversary of TICAD
Then, Mr. Naoki Yanase, Director of JICA’s Africa Division, gave an overview of the five areas of collaboration between JICA and AUDA-NEPAD (Regional Integration, Africa Kaizen Initiative (AKI), Africa Initiative for Food and Nutrition (IFNA), Africa Enterprise Development and Social Solutions (Home Grown Solutions), and Research Cooperation (Policy Bridge Tank)), as well as the results identified so far in the draft report, which is being jointly implemented by JICA and AUDA-NEPAD. (IFNA), Home Grown Solutions (Africa Enterprise Development and Social Solutions), and Research Cooperation (Policy Bridge Tank)), as well as the results confirmed so far.
Mr. Yanase, Director, JICA Africa Dept.
Panel Discussion
A panel discussion was moderated by Shuhei Ueno, Deputy Director of JICA’s Africa Division.
Estherine Fotabong, AUDA-NEPAD Director for Agriculture, Food Security, Environment and Sustainability, spoke about past Japan-Africa cooperation, noting that respect for ownership, long-term commitment, and frequent communication are keys to success. Mr. Junpei Sunahara, AUDA-NEPAD Regional Integration Specialist (JICA Planning and Research Fellow), spoke about the importance of “visualizing” Africa’s own plans through data and other means with the cooperation of Japan. Amani Guizani, Assistant Manager of Engineering and Design, GPSS (ABE Initiative alumnus), who studied in Japan through the ABE Initiative and was later involved in Japanese ODA projects in Africa, stated that human resource development is a strength of Japanese cooperation in Africa.
Panel Discussion
Mr. Shuichi Nishino, Director, Africa Division I, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explained the characteristics of the project, including ownership, investment in people, utilization of the private sector, knowledge platform, peace and stability, and making Japan-Africa issues global through TICAD. Professor Motoki Takahashi of Kyoto University said that Japan’s cooperation is characterized by respecting the ownership of the African side and emphasizing solution approaches developed “on the ground”.
Venue
The panelists then discussed their expectations for future Japan-Africa cooperation based on their own experiences (planning and implementation by Africa itself, policies such as comprehensive agricultural policy and blue economy, further involvement of ABE initiative graduates and infrastructure cooperation that contributes to growth, connectivity of cross-sectoral elements such as linking infrastructure and industry, utilization of “on-the-ground” knowledge, further contribution to Agenda 2063, and co-creation between Japan and Africa in both directions). ), connectivity of cross-sectoral elements such as linking infrastructure and industry, utilization of “on-the-ground” knowledge, further contribution to Agenda 2063, and co-creation between Japan and Africa. The session also concluded with a Q&A session with participants.
- after the closing of the meeting
The launch of the Japanese version of the Africa Infrastructure Development Program (PIDA) 10-Year Implementation Report and the PIDA Priority Action Plan (PAP) Phase 2 Project Summary Report was conducted by Director Ando and Director Bekele-Thomas.
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