The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has officially scrapped its ‘JICA Africa Hometown’ project following widespread confusion over its objectives, particularly regarding visa opportunities for Africans.
In a statement released on Thursday, JICA confirmed it was discontinuing the initiative, acknowledging that misinterpretations surrounding the programme had sparked controversy within Japan and Africa.
Earlier reports had suggested that the Japanese government was preparing to launch a “special visa category” that would allow skilled Nigerians to relocate to Kisarazu, a city chosen under the scheme as a symbolic “hometown” for Africans. However, Tokyo quickly denied such claims, clarifying that no immigration pathway had ever been part of the arrangement.
The misunderstanding intensified on August 26, when Nigeria’s State House issued a statement claiming Japan intended to create a new visa category for talented young Nigerians interested in moving to Kisarazu. That announcement was swiftly refuted by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which emphasised that the programme was never linked to migration.
JICA explained that the concept of designating municipalities as “hometowns” for African nations had placed undue strain on the four participating Japanese cities.
According to the agency:
“From the beginning, the initiative was designed to facilitate cultural and educational exchange programmes between Japanese local governments, African countries, and JICA. However, the wording around ‘hometown’ and the notion of JICA assigning that designation to municipalities caused misunderstandings, leading to confusion domestically. We sincerely apologise to the affected cities for the situation.”
The project had been unveiled in August during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), with the goal of deepening ties between four Japanese municipalities and four African countries through academic and cultural partnerships.
Despite cancelling the initiative, JICA reiterated that it has never promoted immigration policies and does not intend to do so in the future. Instead, the agency reaffirmed its commitment to other forms of international cooperation and exchange.
The controversy escalated further when Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Japan, Florence Akinyemi Adeseke, alongside Kisarazu’s Mayor, Yoshikuni Watanabe, received a certificate recognising Kisarazu as the “hometown” of Nigerians—a move that fuelled speculation about possible migration opportunities.
Japanese authorities have now drawn a clear line, stressing that while the Africa Hometown project was aimed at fostering development-oriented exchanges, it carried no immigration benefits or visa privileges.
 has officially scrapped its ‘JICA Africa Hometown’ project following widespread confusion..){kind=link}