President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Thursday depart Abuja for a high-profile diplomatic mission spanning Japan and Brazil, with a brief layover in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
This development was confirmed in a statement on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. According to the statement, the President’s first destination will be Yokohama, Japan, where he will attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) from August 20 to 22.
TICAD9, themed “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa”, will focus on accelerating Africa’s economic transformation through increased private-sector investment, institutional reforms, innovation, and the promotion of a resilient, sustainable society grounded in peace, stability, and human security.
Beyond participating in the conference’s plenary sessions, President Tinubu is expected to engage in bilateral meetings with key government officials and top executives of Japanese corporations with active investments in Nigeria, exploring avenues to expand economic and trade partnerships.
TICAD, initiated by the Japanese government in 1993 and co-hosted by the United Nations, UNDP, African Union Commission, and World Bank, is held every three years, alternating between Japan and African nations. The most recent edition was held in Tunisia in August 2022.
Following the Japan visit, President Tinubu will proceed to Brasília, Brazil, for a two-day state visit from Sunday, August 24, to Monday, August 25, at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
While in Brazil, the Nigerian leader will hold high-level discussions with President Lula, attend a business forum with Brazilian investors, and lead a delegation comprising ministers and senior government officials to negotiate new areas of cooperation. The engagements are expected to culminate in the signing of strategic agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Nigeria and Brazil.
