Japan strengthens relations with Africa in London event

An event to be held in central London today will highlight a calm revolution, signposting the fact that the African continent is moving from aid reliance to self-sustainability with support from Japan and other development partners.

The Royal African Society (RAS), Britain’s leading African organisation with global reach, will this morning host an event entitled “Japan & Africa: A new kind of relationship,” in association with the Government of Japan. The event is a pre-cursor to the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI), which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, from August 27-28, the first ever TICAD summit to be held in Africa.

Today’s event will feature two renowned practitioners in the field of international development, who will discuss the future of Africa. Akihiko Tanaka, a professor at University of Tokyo and former president of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will appear in conversation with Charles O. Boamah, chief financial officer/vice president, African Development Bank.

Speaking ahead of the event, Tanaka said: “Throughout the period and since 1993 when Japan started the TICAD process, Japan has consistently worked closely with the governments and peoples of Africa for sustainable and inclusive development.”

Tanaka believes that African countries will become invaluable to Japan in the coming decades, as growing business partners with huge market potential.

Tanaka will spell out his four point plan for Africa as: Sustainable growth with insistence that what is consumed in Africa should be produced in Africa, inclusive development that highlights the importance of economic infrastructure, good governance as an accelerator of growth and security, although the number of civil wars have decreased, people are still at risk from terrorism and violence.

Charles Boamah said: “TICAD VI is happening in less than a year after important global agreements on Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Change. 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.

In preparation for the TICAD summit, the RAS is delighted to host this event in London to continue the conversation about the future of Africa and its relationship with Japan.