Stories from the Field 1

Bringing High-quality Made-in-Japan Lubricant to Senegal!
- A good example of the ABE Initiative, which connects leading talent in Africa with Japanese corporations -

ABE Initiative trainees observing the engine oil production process at the Saitama factory of Chugai Yukagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Photo: Chugai Yukagaku Kogyo)

Mr. Diop working with a trainee from Mozambique to produce an engine oil sample (Photo: Chugai Yukagaku Kogyo)

Since the start of the ABE Initiative* in 2014, a total of 1,285 trainees from all 54 countries in Africa have come to Japan, and over half of these trainees have already completed the program and returned to their countries by FY2019. Mr. Serigne Mansour Diop from Senegal is one of those trainees.

Under the ABE Initiative, Mr. Diop studied for two years at the Nagoya University, School of Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering from 2016, and then undertook a half-year internship at Chugai Yukagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. After completing the program, he returned to Senegal, and is now serving as an intermediary to introduce Chugai Yukagaku Kogyo’s products to the country. Mr. Diop shared his inspiration for applying to the ABE Initiative.

“Since I was a child, I watched lots of Japanese anime, and was interested in Japanese culture. Japan also has quality infrastructure that is able to withstand earthquakes and other natural disasters. At university in Senegal, I majored in civil engineering (primarily bridge engineering), and was interested in large-scale infrastructure. When I found out about the ABE Initiative, I thought that it would be a great chance to study in Japan.”

Despite the highly competitive nature of the application process for the ABE Initiative, Mr. Diop was selected as one of the trainees. After earning his master’s degree, and influenced by his older brother who had started his own business in Senegal, Mr. Diop was interested in finding a business partner in Japan, and attended a business fair which invited all trainees from the ABE Initiative. He chose Chugai Yukagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd., who had a booth at the fair, for his internship.

Chugai Yukagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. is a lubricant manufacturer headquartered in Saitama Prefecture, and sells engine oil and other automotive lubricants in Japan and overseas. However, since the global market for such lubricants is expected to shrink with the spread of electric vehicles, the company was investigating in the potential of Africa in addition to its established markets in Asia. In this situation, the company’s participation in the aforementioned business fair became the trigger to start accepting trainees from Africa in the summer of 2017. Mr. Diop was one of their first 11 trainees.

During his internship at Chugai Yukagaku Kogyo, Mr. Diop gained experience in a wide range of roles. Not only did he deepen his understanding on automotive lubricants, the company’s core products, he saw future potential in Senegal for the company’s high-quality, high-performance road repair materials, and translated the product materials into French, the national language of Senegal as well as researched alternative materials available in his home country. Mr. NAKAMURA Daisuke of the Overseas Division at Chugai Yukagaku Kogyo, who worked together with Mr. Diop, was deeply impressed by his enthusiasm toward the work.

“Mr. Diop was always very bright and cheerful, and responded to any work-related challenges with intelligence and insight. He was also skilled at making contact with people, and stood out with his ability to take action. Having gained an opportunity to study in Japan, I strongly felt his passion to gain something here and start a business in Senegal while maintaining a relationship with Japan.”

After returning to Senegal in March 2019, Mr. Diop became a “navigator” for Chugai Yukagaku Kogyo’s expansion into Senegal, and is currently conducting a market survey through a test sale of lubricants, with the aim of producing the lubricants locally through a joint venture with a local major manufacturer. In September 2019, Chugai Yukagaku Kogyo shipped its first container of “Rising (Engine Oil),” designed for the Senegal market, and Mr. Diop is providing total support for the sale of the product in Senegal.

Mr. Nakamura shared the following thoughts on the realization of this project.

“We were able to take the risk of shipping our first container to Senegal without arranging a business consultant thanks to the strong relationship of trust we have with Mr. Diop. Although some people in the company voiced concerns about expanding into Africa, understanding is growing on the possibility of business in Africa since we started accepting trainees. We have also recently hired a former trainee of the ABE Initiative from Morocco.”

Furthermore, a survey (JICA SDGs Business Supporting Survey) is planned to assess the market potential and support business model formulation for Chugai Yukagaku Kogyo’s road repair materials in Senegal. Mr. Diop also plans to serve as the local coordinator for this survey.

In addition to Mr. Diop, approximately 60 other young people from Senegal have used the ABE Initiative to earn an opportunity to study in Japan. The JICA Senegal Office conducts follow-up with each trainee to help build their experiences into even stronger relations between Japan and Senegal. These follow-up activities include matching trainees with Japanese companies, reports on local business needs, and one-on-one consulting.

Looking back on the program, Mr. Diop says, “The follow-up system for ABE Initiative trainees is very thorough, they provide help if I need anything even today. I am also very happy to have been able to connect Chugai Yukagaku Kogyo with a local road repair company, as they have joined hands and JICA’s assistance is being considered.”

The ABE Initiative is building a relationship of friendship between Japan and Senegal that contributes to the development of both countries by creating a network of business people connecting Japan and Senegal, and invigorating the economic activity of Japanese corporations in Senegal.

*See “Glossary” for details.