Nigerian President Bola Tinubu will leave Abuja on Thursday for a two-nation trip to Japan and Brazil, with his first stop in Yokohama for the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), the presidency said.
Before arriving in Japan, Tinubu will make a brief stop in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In Yokohama, he will join African leaders, development partners and global institutions at TICAD9, which runs from August 20 to 22 under the theme “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa.”
The triennial summit will focus on Africa’s economic transformation, strengthening institutions, and improving the business environment through private investment and technological innovation. It will also address building resilient, sustainable societies across the continent, promoting human security, and enhancing peace and stability.
On the sidelines of the conference, Tinubu will hold bilateral talks with Japanese officials and meet with chief executives from leading Japanese companies that have operations or investment interests in Nigeria. Discussions are expected to centre on expanding trade, deepening industrial cooperation, and attracting new investment in sectors such as energy, infrastructure and technology.
Initiated by the Japanese government in 1993 and co-hosted by the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Union Commission and the World Bank, TICAD serves as a high-level forum for policy dialogue between Africa and its partners. It alternates between Africa and Japan, with the last edition held in Tunisia in 2022.
Following the close of TICAD9, Tinubu will travel to Brasilia for a two-day state visit from August 24 to 25, at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He will hold bilateral meetings, attend a business forum, and witness the signing of agreements and memoranda of understanding aimed at expanding Nigeria–Brazil cooperation in trade, agriculture, and industrial development.
Tinubu will be accompanied by key ministers and senior officials, presidential aide Bayo Onanuga said, adding that the trip reflects Nigeria’s push to deepen global partnerships for economic growth.
(The Guardian)
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