JAPAN NAMES KISARAZU AS NIGERIANS HOMETOWN PLEDGES $5.5B INVESTMENT IN AFRICA………..
By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
Japan has officially designated Kisarazu City as the hometown for Nigerians who wish to live and work in the country. The move, announced at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), aims to strengthen cultural ties, boost economic growth, and address Japan’s workforce needs.
A special visa program will be introduced for skilled Nigerian professionals, artisans, and workers seeking opportunities in Kisarazu. Similar hometown ties were also announced for Tanzania, Ghana, and Mozambique in other Japanese cities.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also unveiled a $5.5 billion investment plan for Africa, focusing on private-sector growth, youth and women empowerment, and regional integration. He stressed that Japan, facing an ageing population, hopes for deeper cooperation with Africa to find mutually beneficial solutions.
Kisarazu, already familiar to Nigerians as the host city for their Tokyo 2020 Olympic training camp, is now set to play a central role in building stronger Nigeria–Japan relations.