State Minister Ogushi and State Minister Koga Participate in the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD)

1. Attendance at the TICAD Business Expo & Conference (TBEC) Opening Ceremony (August 20)

State Minister Ogushi attended the TBEC opening ceremony, which combines the Business Expo and thematic events, with H.E. Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, which serves as Chair of the African Union (AU), Mr. Fujii Hisayuki, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Mr. Ishiguro Norihiko, Chairman and CEO, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). In his remarks at the opening ceremony, State Minister Ogushi expressed his expectations for new collaborations and concrete business negotiations through TBEC towards co-creation between Japan and Africa. Afterwards, he visited the exhibition venue and was briefed on Japanese companies' initiatives in Africa and their excellent advanced technologies.

2. Attendance at the Forum on the Economic Partnership in Indian Ocean-Africa (August 20)

State Minister Ogushi attended the Forum on the Economic Partnership in Indian Ocean-Africa and expressed Japan’s intention to work with Africa to strengthen cooperation with Indian Ocean countries such as India and the Middle Eastern countries, in light of the progress being made in the Japan-India Cooperation Initiative for Sustainable Economic Development in Africa, and to build a co-creative relationship between Japan and Africa.

3. Meeting with Mr. Manuel Moses, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI) (August 20) 

State Minister Koga met with CEO Moses of ATIDI, an export credit agency that helps companies doing business in Africa reduce risks, and exchanged opinions on business support for Japanese companies through strengthened collaboration between ATIDI and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI). They welcomed the collaboration to date, including NEXI's investment in ATIDI, the establishment of a Japan Desk at ATIDI, and the dispatch of NEXI staff to ATIDI. They confirmed that the two organizations will further deepen their collaboration.

4. Attendance at an Event Organized by Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) (August 20)

State Minister Koga attended a thematic event “The Key to Success for Business in Africa ～Business Support Presented by NEXI and Financial Institutions～” co-hosted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and NEXI, where he explained the importance of collaboration between NEXI and the multilateral development banks and export credit agencies to reduce risks faced by Japanese companies doing business in Africa.

5. Welcome Reception Co-hosted by Prime Minister Ishiba and Mayor Yamanaka of the City of Yokohama (August 20)

State Minister Koga attended a welcome reception co-hosted by Mr. Ishiba Shigeru, Prime Minister, and Dr. Yamanaka Takeharu, Mayor of the City of Yokohama, and welcomed heads of state and ministers of African nations visiting Japan for TICAD 9.

6. Attendance at the Signing Ceremony and Visit to the TBEC Exhibition Booths (August 21)

State Minister Koga attended the TICAD 9 signing ceremony with Prime Minister Ishiba, Mr. Tachibana Keiichiro, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Fujii, Angolan President Lourenço, H. E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, H.E. Mr. John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, and H. E. Mr. Robert Beugré Mambe, Prime Minister of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. At TICAD 9, 324 signed documents were registered by companies, organizations, and so forth.

Prior to the signing ceremony, State Minister Koga visited the booths of Japanese companies operating in Africa with Prime Minister Ishiba, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tachibana, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Fujii, and Angolan President Lourenço.

7. Attendance at an Event Organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (August 21)

State Minister Ogushi attended a thematic event (Leveraging Innovation for Africa’s Industrial Transformation: Building Resilience in a Globalized Economy) organized by UNIDO and explained that it is important to utilize the technological capabilities of Japanese companies in order for Africa to accelerate its industrial transformation through innovation and increase its resilience in the global economy, and that co-creation between Japanese companies and local African partners is essential to achieve that.

8. Meeting with Vice President Devakumar Edwin of the Dangote Group (August 21)

State Minister Ogushi met with Mr. Devakumar V. G. Edwin, Vice President of the Dangote Group of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which owns one of the largest oil refineries in Africa, and exchanged viewss on collaboration between the group and Japanese companies. They welcomed the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the group and Japanese companies that aims to strengthen the supply chain in Nigeria's petrochemical sector and confirmed to proceed with discussions on specific collaborations.

9. Meeting with Dr. Juma Mukhwana, the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Industry in the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry of the Republic of Kenya (August 21)

State Minister Ogushi held a meeting with Principal Secretary Mukhwana for the State Department of Industry in the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry of the Republic of Kenya, and exchanged opinions on strengthening bilateral economic ties. During the meeting, they confirmed the efforts made so far in Industrial Policy Dialogue (IPD) between the two countries, particularly the aim of expanding the supporting industries through industrial human resource development, and the promotion of efforts for industrial development through Samurai financing.

10. Meeting with H.E. Mr. Abdullah Allafi, Vice President of the Presidential Council of the State of Libya (August 22)

State Minister Ogushi held a meeting with Vice President of the Presidential Council of the State of Libya Abdullah Allafi and exchanged opinions on the future vitalization of business relations between the two countries. He also urged Vice President Allafi to help stabilize the crude oil market, amid concerns over the impact of persistently high energy prices on the global economy, against the backdrop of the recent instability in the Middle East.

11. Meeting with H.E. Dr. Estêvão Rafael Pale, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy of the Republic of Mozambique (August 22)

State Minister Ogushi held a meeting with Republic of Mozambique Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Pale and exchanged opinions on bilateral energy cooperation. They confirmed the importance of an environment that allows stable operations for LNG projects involving Japanese companies. They also confirmed that the two countries will continue to work together to advance LNG development while steadily developing human resources.

(Reference 1) Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD)

TICAD stands for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, an international conference focused on African development. The Government of Japan has been leading this conference since 1993, co-hosting it with the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank and African Union Commission (AUC).
TICAD 9 was held in Yokohama on August 20 to 22, 2025.

(Reference 2) TICAD Business Expo & Conference （TBEC） 

TBEC comprises four zones: Japan Fair, Africa Lounge, Event Stage, and Thematic Exhibitions. It is an integrated business event organized by JETRO. The Japan Fair involved 194 companies and organizations, including 106 Japanese small and medium-sized businesses.

Related Link

• The Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) Held

Division in Charge

Africa Office, Trade Policy Bureau