Prime Minister Ishiba delivered a speech on Japan-Africa economic cooperation policy at the Government-Private Business Dialogue held on August 21, 2025, regarding the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9).
Basic Policy of "From Aid to Investment"
At the opening, Prime Minister Ishiba looked back on TICAD's 30-year journey and presented "From Aid to Investment" as a new keyword for Japan-Africa relations. TICAD9 aims for "co-creation of innovative solutions" as its theme, expressing commitment to Japan and Africa learning from each other while cooperating on problem-solving. At the signing document presentation ceremony, over 300 cooperation documents were presented, three times more than the previous TICAD8, concretely demonstrating the expansion of Japanese companies' involvement in Africa.
Detailed Development of Three Priority Cooperation Areas
As the first priority, he outlined economic diversification through strengthening sustainable industrial ecosystems, introducing the example of Musashi Seimitsu Industry developing electric motorcycle battery exchange station business in Kenya and Ethiopia in partnership with local startups. He also mentioned Professor Matsuo from the University of Tokyo's AI human resource development and local employment support initiatives in Africa, announcing the concrete goal of implementing human resource development for 300,000 people over the next three years.
For the second priority of promoting regional integration, he indicated strengthening cross-border logistics through wide-area offer-type cooperation related to Nacala Corridor development and announced the launch of the "Indian Ocean-Africa Economic Zone Initiative." As the third priority, he outlined strengthening finance for sustainable growth led by the private sector, advancing industrial development through optimal blending of public and private funds.
New Framework for Technology Cooperation and Knowledge Sharing
Prime Minister Ishiba stated the aim to realize social problem-solving and growth by combining Japanese companies' technology and expertise in AI, DX, and GX with traditionally undervalued African indigenous wisdom, endogenous initiatives, and the vitality and creativity of African youth. He emphasized the importance of building cooperative systems that leverage the strengths of both Japan and Africa to address complex crises such as global warming.
Building Long-term Partnership
The speech declared "Japan will work together with our African friends to laugh together, cry together, and sweat together in solving challenges," promising to continue the careful approach of knowing, supporting, and creating solutions together. This signifies the construction of long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships that go beyond mere economic cooperation, clearly indicating Japan's fundamental stance in its Africa policy.
The article represents an important policy speech that concretizes Japan's new Africa strategy of shifting relations with Africa from traditional aid-centered to investment and technology cooperation-centered through TICAD9, aiming to build sustainable development models that leverage each other's strengths.