By Ayo Kehinde
President Bola Tinubu will on Thursday, August 14, embark on a working visit to Japan and Brazil, with a brief stopover in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
In a statement on Wednesday, his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the President’s first engagement will be in Japan, where he will attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama from August 20 to 22.
Themed “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa,” TICAD9 will focus on Africa’s economic transformation, private investment, innovation, institutional reforms, and the promotion of a resilient and sustainable African society anchored on human security, peace, and stability.
Tinubu is expected to participate in plenary sessions, hold bilateral meetings, and engage with chief executives of Japanese companies investing in Nigeria.
TICAD, initiated in 1993 by the Japanese government and co-hosted by the United Nations, UNDP, African Union Commission, and the World Bank, is held every three years, alternating between Africa and Japan. The last edition took place in Tunisia in 2022.
After the conference, the President will proceed to Brasilia, Brazil’s capital, for a two-day state visit from August 24 to 25 at the invitation of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
While in Brazil, Tinubu will hold bilateral talks with his host, attend a business forum to deepen economic ties, and witness the signing of agreements and Memoranda of Understanding between both countries. His delegation will include key ministers and senior government officials.
