Africa

When the Cold War ended, developed countries' interest in providing assistance to Africa began to wane. Under such circumstance, it was Japan that argued for the importance of Africa, and TICAD was the proof of Japan taking action. Nowadays, there are various fora through which many countries engage themselves with Africa, but TICAD launched by Japan was the forerunner of such fora for African development. Over the course of more than 20 years since TICAD I in 1993, the forum has a track record of improving social and economic conditions in Africa mainly through grant aids and technical assistance. In the five years starting from fiscal year 2008, the government of Japan built 1,321 elementary and middle schools, improved 4,778 healthcare and medical facilities, and provided safe water to additional 10.79 million people.