As Japan prepares to host the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama from August 20-22, the summit is poised to mark a significant evolution in Japan-Africa relations. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, Japan appears ready to redefine its presence on the continent, not simply as a donor, but as a long-term partner, investing in Africa’s future amid intensifying global competition for influence.
TICAD 9 arrives at a moment when Tokyo is seeking to deepen its global reach and demonstrate that it is prepared to match rhetoric with resources. With China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the West’s renewed push for influence across Africa, Japan is entering a more crowded and complex geopolitical space.
At the economic core of TICAD 9 is Japan’s push to expand its footprint on the continent. Despite Africa receiving just 0.5 percent of Japan’s global foreign direct investment, Tokyo believes it can turn the tide by encouraging more private sector involvement in African markets. With Japanese net external assets reaching record highs in 2024, there is both capital and capacity to scale up investment. TICAD 9 is expected to unveil new public-private mechanisms and financing tools designed to lower the risk of entry for Japanese firms and promote large-scale investment in infrastructure, technology, and industrial development.
Japan’s emphasis on “quality growth” offers a contrast to infrastructure models based on speed and volume. Japan seeks projects with long-term social and economic benefits, such as health systems, education, local manufacturing, and environmental stewardship – an approach that resonates with African leaders aiming to build resilience and autonomy.
The summit will also place youth and innovation at the center of bilateral cooperation. With Africa poised to host one-third of the world’s youth by 2050, Japan sees an opportunity to co-develop the future of innovation, particularly in digital health, agriculture, fintech, and clean energy. New programs connecting African and Japanese startups will be launched at TICAD 9, with a special emphasis on women’s empowerment, vocational training, and digital inclusion as engines of sustainable development.
Tokyo also plans to strengthen diplomatic ties through a model of “partnered engagement,” which deliberately avoids political interference. This stance has earned Japan credibility across the continent, especially among governments wary of aid with geopolitical strings. Aligning itself with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, Japan supports broad thematic partnerships that aim for regional impact rather than transactional, country-specific deals.
Resource security is another area where Japan is shifting from rhetoric to action. The competition for critical minerals has made Africa a focal point in Japan’s economic security strategy. In the past year, Japanese officials have signed major agreements in Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including a $1 billion commitment to mineral exploration and production.
Japan is also looking toward the future of energy. The summit aims to identify joint opportunities in green hydrogen and ammonia, which could serve as alternative energy sources for both Africa and Japan. Japanese companies are increasingly interested in environmental technologies, including waste management and climate resilience, viewing the continent as both a partner and a testing ground for new solutions.
Financial ties between Japan and Africa are also growing. Côte d’Ivoire’s recent issuance of a 50 billion yen Samurai bond, the first by a sub-Saharan country, marks a new chapter in African access to Japanese capital markets. With JBIC as guarantor, the bond’s proceeds will fund climate adaptation and development initiatives. Tokyo also plans to expand its network of bilateral investment treaties to provide greater legal certainty for Japanese investors. These agreements, combined with Africa’s ongoing efforts to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area, could unlock significant new flows of capital and trade.
At TICAD 8, held in 2022, Tokyo pledged $30 billion in investment by 2025. By 2023, $1.5 billion had already been deployed through the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance for Africa (EPSA 5), a collaboration with the African Development Bank. TICAD 9 will feature side events on clean energy, digital inclusion, agriculture, health, and education, with agencies like JICA, NEXI, and JBIC aligning their efforts with the AfDB’s “High 5” development goals. Health will also remain a central theme.
Security and peacebuilding will figure prominently at the summit. Japan has supported U.N. peacekeeping operations in South Sudan, Mozambique, and the DRC, offering engineering, technical, and logistical assistance. Its approach avoids military intervention and instead invests in the root causes of instability, such as poverty, unemployment, and environmental degradation. Japan backs African-led initiatives through cooperation with the African Union and regional bodies, offering development-based pathways to peace.
Japan’s broader vision, rooted in its Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy, aligns with its Africa policy in form but not always in substance. FOIP still lacks the economic depth to appeal widely in Africa, but Japan is adapting by engaging through Track 1 and Track 2 diplomacy to better understand and respond to African needs.
Ultimately, TICAD 9 is not just another development summit. It is Japan’s declaration of intent to be a lasting, strategic partner to Africa in an era defined by multipolar competition. From critical minerals and green energy to peacebuilding and digital inclusion, Japan offers a model of partnership based on mutual respect, shared prosperity, and long-term resilience. Whether Africa reciprocates this vision remains to be seen, but in Yokohama this August, the groundwork for a new era of cooperation will be laid.
