TICAD
The 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) Plenary Session 3
August 22, 2025
On August 22, former Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio, serving as Acting Co-chair, attended Plenary Session 3 of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) commenced at Pacifico Yokohama from 8:45 a.m. for approximately 65 minutes.
- At the outset, former Prime Minister Kishida stated that Japan would actively work on solving social problems and developing human resources, utilizing the innovative technologies of Japanese companies, in order to create a society that leaves no one behind together with Africa. Former Prime Minister Kishida then spoke about Japan's future initiatives in Africa in the areas of education and human resource development, health, environment, and disaster prevention.
- This was followed by keynote speeches from H.E. Mr. John Dramani MAHAMA, President of the Republic of Ghana, Mr. Haoliang XU, Under-Secretary-General and Acting Administrator of UNDP, Mr. Ousmane DIAGANA, Regional Vice President for Western and Central Africa of World Bank, and H. E. Dr. William Samoei RUTO, President of the Republic of Kenya. Following this, lively discussions took place among representatives from African countries, international organizations, the business community, academia, youth, and civil society. In particular, they pointed out that for the realization of a sustainable future and an inclusive society, and for achieving the SDGs and Agenda 2063, it is essential to take measures such as improving access to quality education, investment in human capital such as vocational training, empowerment of youth and women, strengthening health systems, water and sanitation, climate change countermeasures, and disaster prevention measures. Furthermore, they expressed appreciation for Japan's past contributions in these fields, along with expectations for further cooperation.
