The federal government has said Nigeria will be leveraging the ongoing Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan, to deepen strategic diplomatic and economic partnerships with Japan and other African nations.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, who disclosed this to journalists ahead of the commencement of the conference in Yokohama on Tuesday, also said the nation will be pushing for reforms in the global financial system.
Ambassador Tuggar said that Nigeria’s participation in TICAD reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening regional integration, expanding trade, and positioning Africa for sustainable development.
Tuggar stressed that Nigeria, as one of Africa’s leading economies, has a crucial role in advancing global financial reforms, particularly in the areas of debt rescheduling and restructuring.
“Unless we have reforms in the global financial architecture, Africa as a whole cannot benefit,” he said, noting that the presence of global institutions such as the United Nations and World Bank at TICAD underscores the urgency of the debate.
The minister explained that Nigeria is drawing lessons from Japan’s post-war economic trajectory, highlighting the “flying geese effect” through which Japanese corporations invested across Asia in the 1960s and 1970s, spurring industrialisation and regional growth.
“In Nigeria, we seek to replicate this by building an industrial base, creating jobs for our teeming youths, and tackling unemployment,” he said, adding that Tinubu’s ongoing macroeconomic reforms were already showing positive effects.
Beyond finance, Tuggar revealed that Nigeria is working to expand its $1 billion trade volume with Japan by exploring new areas such as agricultural exports and by strengthening collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO).
He added that with at least 17 African heads of state in attendance, Nigeria would also use TICAD as a platform to galvanise support for its bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, as well as positions in other global institutions, including the International Court of Justice and the International Maritime Organisation.
“Nigeria must be at the decision-making tables of the world. That is why we are using this platform to lobby for the positions that rightfully strengthen our role in shaping global policies,” the minister said.
