Nigeria at TICAD 9: Beyond Empty Booths, Focused on Strategic Engagements

Tinubu Shifts Focus from Trade Expo to

Strategic Deals in Power, Industry & Investment

Reports circulating on social media about an “empty Nigerian booth” at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama, Japan, have sparked conversations online. However, government officials insist that the narrative misrepresents Nigeria’s true mission at the summit.

According to the Presidency, the Nigerian delegation—led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—is not in Japan to participate in trade expos, but to pursue high-level bilateral and multilateral engagements aimed at boosting critical sectors of the economy, including power, industry, and agriculture.

“Nigeria didn’t come to Yokohama for a trade exhibition. Our focus is on strategic meetings that deliver concrete outcomes,” said Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) will, however, host an investment forum today, Thursday, August 21, as part of the broader activities at the conference.

Meanwhile, government ministers and business leaders are engaged in intensive sideline meetings. The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, is spearheading discussions with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on multiple projects, including:

• Lagos-Ogun Power Transmission System Improvement – to expand wheeling capacity and strengthen grid stability.

• NAPTIN-JICA partnership – to improve vocational training for the power sector.

• Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy Scale-up – a $190 million initiative to expand renewable energy deployment.

Adelabu is also scheduled to meet with top Japanese Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as Toshiba and Hitachi.

In addition, the Bank of Industry, under the leadership of Dr. Supo Olusi, is holding negotiations with JICA and other multilateral partners on annual global fund syndication efforts.

President Tinubu himself will lead meetings with senior executives from Toyota Corporation, CFAO, UN-Habitat, UNDP, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

The Presidency stressed that while social media posts may highlight optics like an unattended booth, they do not capture Nigeria’s actual participation at TICAD 9. Instead, the country is “fully represented and actively involved in essential conversations and negotiations that matter for long-term development.”