#Japan #Yokohama #JICA #TICAD9 #AUDA-NEPAD

JICA and AUDA-NEPAD Solidify Partnership Toward a Sustainable Africa

On August 21, 2025, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) co-hosted a signing ceremony for their Fifth Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) during a themed event at the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9). This event, held both online and in-person at the Yokohama Grand Intercontinental Hotel, marks an important step in enhancing collaboration between Japan and Africa toward the goals outlined in Agenda 2063.

The partnership between JICA and AUDA-NEPAD began in 2004 and saw its first MOC signed in 2014. Over the past decade, the collaboration has focused on various areas, including regional integration, the Africa Kaizen Initiative (AKI), and the Africa Food and Nutrition Initiative (IFNA). The new MOC brings these initiatives to the next level, introducing 12 new sub-themes that expand upon the five existing cooperation areas. This is in line with the African Union's long-term development plan, Agenda 2063, which aims to build a sustainable and resilient society throughout the continent.

In their opening remarks, JICA President Akihiko Tanaka and AUDA-NEPAD's Director-General Nardos Bekele-Thomas expressed optimism about the deepening relationship between the two organizations. Tanaka reflected on the importance of collaboration in a progressively fragmented world, emphasizing that "it is crucial to deepen cooperation within the global community. It is our intention to work alongside Africa as it emerges as a beacon of innovation and resilience that propels global growth."

Bekele-Thomas echoed these sentiments, stating, "The partnership between Japan and Africa is becoming increasingly vital as we address shared challenges and strive for global prosperity. We have already seen substantial成果 in areas such as infrastructure development, food and nutrition security, and enhancing resilience to pandemics. With the renewal of this MOC, we expect new solutions to emerge that will help us achieve the goals set forth in Agenda 2063."

The signing ceremony was met with applause from attendees, marking a symbolic moment as a new chapter in their partnership began. Following the MOC signing, AUDA-NEPAD's Senior Advisor Tohru Honma delivered a keynote speech reviewing the decade of cooperation between the two organizations, underscoring contributions to Agenda 2063. He highlighted the growth of their collaboration into areas such as infrastructure development, trade facilitation, and pandemic resilience through the Home Grown Solutions (HGS) Accelerator Program.

A video presentation illustrated the achievements generated from their previous collaboration, showcasing the enhancement of technical cooperation with Japan following lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A panel discussion followed, featuring four representatives from Africa and Japan who shared insights on AUDA-NEPAD's experiences and future perspectives. During the discussion, Amin Idriss Adom from AUDA-NEPAD noted that their joint initiatives under Agenda 2063 have yielded substantial results in healthcare, infrastructure development, and industrialization. He emphasized the need for continued investment and trade expansion between Japan and Africa.

Hirsh Meta, leading Revital Healthcare in Kenya, spoke about how partnerships have amplified their response capabilities, particularly in diagnostics, and he intends to expand this approach to address Africa's healthcare challenges. Gide Kwatju, who co-founded MaKo Industries SA in Cameroon, cited the positive impacts of adopting the Africa Kaizen Initiative, leading to improvements in productivity and workforce recognition.

In closing, Professor Izumi Ohno from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies emphasized the significant real-world impact of the Japan-Africa partnership and highlighted the need for addressing unique challenges such as youth employment while aligning with global megatrends for sustainability.

As the discussion progressed, speakers collectively expressed hopes that the Fifth MOC will catalyze industrialization and infrastructure improvements in Africa. The symposium concluded with strategic discussions on forming a unified approach toward collaboration. JICA will continue to build strong partnerships with AUDA-NEPAD, reinforcing both sustainable development in Africa and the enduring partnership between Japan and Africa.

This signing ceremony and symposium reaffirm the commitment of both Japan and Africa to walk the path toward realizing the goals of Agenda 2063, setting the stage for future cooperation efforts.