President Bola Tinubu arrived in Japan on Tuesday to take part in the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), scheduled for 20–22 August in Yokohama.
His aircraft landed at the Presidential Wing of Haneda International Airport, Tokyo, at 12:50 am local time (still Monday evening in Nigeria due to the eight-hour time difference). Ambassador Hideo Matsubara, Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, and officials from the Nigerian Embassy welcomed him.
Tinubu departed Abuja on Friday, 15 August, with senior government officials, including ministers and advisers, after a brief stopover in Dubai before heading to Japan.
According to presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the President will attend plenary sessions, hold bilateral meetings, and engage with chief executives of Japanese companies investing in Nigeria.
Themed “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa”, TICAD9 will focus on economic transformation, improving Africa’s business environment and institutions through private investment and innovation, and promoting a resilient and sustainable society for human security, peace, and stability.
The Japanese government initiated the triennial conference, co-hosted by the United Nations, UNDP, the African Union Commission, and the World Bank. It alternates between Japan and Africa, with Tunisia hosting the last edition in 2022.
Onanuga added that, after TICAD9, President Tinubu would proceed to Brasília for a two-day state visit on 24–25 August at the invitation of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. There, he will meet his host and attend a business forum with Brazilian investors.