When Nigeria’s president, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, led the federal delegation to Yokohama for the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-9), it marked more than just another diplomatic appearance—it symbolised an ambitious turn, a renewed commitment to collaboration built on results, not rhetoric.
At the plenary session on Peace and Stability, President Tinubu made an impassioned appeal: Africa cannot chart a prosperous future if violence, insecurity, and underdevelopment remain unchecked. He described the concerted efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces against terrorism as “the springboard for national development and stability,” underscoring an unshakeable resolve that security is the bedrock upon which economic growth and societal resilience must rest. Africa, he declared, will remain sidelined unless it embraces peace as both a moral imperative and development strategy.
President Tinubu’s presence was far from ceremonial. Rather, it signalled Nigeria’s readiness to evolve from being an aid recipient to becoming a proactive partner. He emphasised that inclusivity, diversity, and respect for the rule of law are embedded within Nigeria’s social and political architecture—foundations on which sustainable economic partnerships can flourish.
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Beyond Exhibitions: Outcome-Driven Partnership in Energy and Infrastructure
While trade fairs may draw headlines, Nigeria’s mission at TICAD-9 was substantially more strategic: forging partnerships that deliver tangible, measurable outcomes. As noted by Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser to the Minister of Power, Nigeria deliberately shifted from exhibition stalls to targeted actions in energy, industrial transformation, and infrastructure.
The effort yielded immediate, concrete results. Nigeria secured a significant $238 million loan facility from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), earmarked for expanding and fortifying its national power grid. This funding will support the construction of nearly 103 km of new 330 kV double-circuit transmission lines, over 104 km of 132 kV lines, new substations, and line bay extensions—all designed to reduce system losses and increase reliability.
Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, underscored the strategic importance of this development, citing the collaboration with major Japanese firms such as Toshiba, Hitachi, and the Japan Transmission & Distribution Corporation. Adelabu affirmed that the focus remains on operational efficiency, infrastructure resilience, and partnerships that translate directly into improved electricity access for Nigerians.
To complement infrastructure gains, the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria launched a modernised training facility in Abuja—another product of the Nigeria-Japan cooperation continuum, aimed at deepening domestic technical capacity and ensuring long-term sustainability in the sector.
Expanding the Horizon: Mining, Start-ups, and Co-Creation
Energy wasn’t the only sector where Nigeria captured meaningful traction. At TICAD-9, the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, under Dr. Dele Alake, initiated high-level discussions with Japanese stakeholders. The aim: attract investment into Nigeria’s emerging solid minerals industry and foster value-added processing locally rather than exporting raw materials. JOGMEC (Japan Organisation for Metals and Energy Security) played a pivotal role in these discussions, reflecting Nigeria’s bid to enhance beneficiation, strengthen its workforce, and tap into supply chain infrastructure.
Moreover, in a remarkable example of co-creation thinking, Japan and Nigeria launched a joint initiative to support social innovation and resilient entrepreneurship. Announced as a “Co-creation for Common Agenda” project, it focuses on delivering solutions that enhance economic and social resilience through local start-ups and innovation ecosystems. This project typifies the shift toward partnership models that centre Africa’s ingenuity and agency, rather than reliance on external direction.
TICAD-9: A Partnership Framed by Security, Innovation and Sovereignty
At its core, TICAD-9 served as a reminder that the relationship between Nigeria and Japan—and by extension, Africa and its development partners—is evolving. It is no longer about aid alone; it is reshaping into one defined by shared vision, mutual benefit, and co-ownership of development pathways.
President Tinubu’s speech, which flagged security as foundational to prosperity, resonates deeply with this shift—security is not just a precondition for growth, but a goal intertwined with it.
Meanwhile, energy infrastructure and capacity-building reflect Nigeria’s forward-looking agenda: modernised systems, long-term sustainability, and a deliberate focus on domestic empowerment through training and technology.
The mining cooperation discussions further showcase a commitment to value addition and industrial transformation, positioning Nigeria not merely as a supplier of raw commodities but as a partner in a full-fledged, integrated value chain.
Through instruments like the “Co-creation for Common Agenda,” TICAD-9 also visualised Nigeria and Japan as equals in the innovation space—bringing African start-ups, social entrepreneurs, and creative problem-solvers into contact with international resources and know-how in equal measure.
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