Japan contribution to the Big 4 agenda via TICAD process

During the two and a half years that I have served as Japanese ambassador to Kenya, two events stand out in my mind as memories that I will cherish for the rest of my days.

One is the experience of climbing Mt Kenya – an event which inspired me to write an opinion column on the glorious potential of Kenya’s tourism.

The second is when I received my Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, when he came to Kenya for the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development – (TICAD VI )– in August 2016. For it is always a great and unforgettable honour as an ambassador, to have your Head of Government visit the country where you are serving.

TICAD had in the past always been held in Japan. It was an exception and a tribute to Kenya’s significance within the African continent, that TICAD VI was held in Kenya.

If we are to include the side events which were held alongside TICAD VI, this historic event was attended by over 11,000 people. The participants included high-level representatives of 53 African countries as well as development partner countries; international and regional organizations; the private sector; and civil society NGOs.

Since that time, two follow-up meetings have been held here in Kenya. The first was in March this year in Nairobi when my embassy hosted a TICAD follow-up workshop. The TICAD Mini Consultative Conference was also held in September to review our progress.

Kenyans may well ask: So what exactly is this progress?

I would answer briefly by saying that a lot of the projects which were proposed at the TICAD VI conference, are very much aligned with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four national development priorities.

For whether you talk of Universal Health Coverage; or Manufacturing; or Affordable Housing; or Enabled Food and Nutrition Security; in some corner of this beautiful country, you will find that Japan, working in close partnership with Kenya, is doing something to help Kenya achieve these objectives.

To mention just two examples, Japan is supporting the creation of the Special Economic Zone in Mombasa, which will open the way to new investments in manufacturing industries. Japan is also involved in joint agricultural research in Mwea, which will boost the production of rice in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme in a major step towards achieving food security.

These projects are priorities of Kenya, which we are actively helping to bring to fulfillment, in our capacity as development partners.

For the essential guiding principle of TICAD has always been: African ownership; and international partnership.

On July 27 this year, the Japanese Cabinet approved the hosting of the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 7) in Yokohama from August 28 to 30, 2019. Furthermore, , we have a TICAD Ministerial Meeting held in Tokyo on October 6-7 in order to follow-up on the results of TICAD 6, and to prepare for TICAD 7 in 2019.

One of the key issues to be discussed, is how Africa can implement transformation of its national economies and respond to the urgent need to create jobs for its large youth population.

Attention will also be paid to the Blue Economy, which has been described as “a major contributor to continental transformation and growth”. The ministerial meeting will assess the efforts that have been taken to promote the Blue Economy, including the perspectives of enhancing maritime security and safety.

There is also the question of the unsustainable debt condition in some African nations, often resulting from the urge to close the infrastructure gap and promote inclusive growth. The meeting will seek answers to the question of how to facilitate a more healthy, transparent and sustainable debt structure which supports the self-reliance of African countries.

Africa has been defined as the 21st century’s greatest economic frontier. Japan has made a deep commitment to ensuring that African countries rise to take their place among the economically advanced nations.

The TICAD process is the mechanism through which the Government of Japan seeks to strongly support African development in order to bring increased economic growth to Africa.

TOSHITSUGU UESAWA, Japan Ambassador to Kenya.