By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
THE JAPAN International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has withdrawn its “Africa Hometown” initiative, following public confusion and mounting concerns within the country over the nature and interpretation of the programme.
The initiative, unveiled in August at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama, had paired four African countries with four Japanese municipalities to promote cultural, educational, and developmental exchanges.
Under the arrangement, Nigeria was linked with Kisarazu, Tanzania with Nagai in Yamagata Prefecture, Ghana with Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture, and Mozambique with Imabari in Ehime Prefecture.
JICA explained that the project had been designed to strengthen cooperation and people-to-people exchanges through coordinated programmes between local governments, African counterparts, and the agency.
Specific activities were to be determined after consultations with stakeholders.
The scheme, however, became the subject of controversy when widespread misunderstanding emerged over its purpose.
JICA stated that the very terminology of “hometown” and the agency’s designation of Japanese municipalities as such created misinterpretations, which placed an excessive burden on the four cities.
Confusion deepened after a Nigerian State House press release suggested that Japan’s designation of Kisarazu as the “hometown” for Nigerians included the introduction of special visa arrangements for skilled workers to live and work in the city.
The claim, which circulated widely, prompted protests and heightened concerns within Japanese host communities.
Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a clarification, confirming that the programme was limited strictly to cultural and developmental exchanges and did not extend to immigration or visa privileges.
The ministry reiterated that Japan had no plans to promote immigration through JICA or related frameworks.
The misunderstanding was further fuelled by a public event in which Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Japan, Florence Akinyemi Adeseke, and Kisarazu’s Mayor, Yoshikuni Watanabe, received a certificate declaring the city the “hometown” of Nigerians.
The ceremony reinforced the perception among some members of the public that the programme entailed migration benefits.
In its formal statement, JICA said: “The very nature of this initiative – namely, the term ‘hometown’ and the fact that JICA would ‘designate’ Japanese local governments as ‘hometowns’, led to misunderstandings and confusion.
JICA sincerely apologises to the municipalities involved for causing such a situation.”
The agency confirmed that after consultations with stakeholders, it had decided to terminate the programme altogether.
JICA President Akihiko Tanaka formally announced the cancellation on 25 September and apologised to the municipalities for the challenges caused by the misinterpretations.
JICA stressed that while the “Africa Hometown” initiative has been withdrawn, it remains committed to supporting international exchange between Japanese local governments and African nations.
The agency said it would continue to back projects that foster cultural understanding, development cooperation, and people-to-people connections without ambiguity.
The organisation also reaffirmed its stance on immigration, stating: “JICA wishes to take this opportunity to reiterate that it has never undertaken initiatives to promote immigration and has no plans to do so in the future.”
It further assured that it would maintain a meticulous management system regarding foreign nationals’ entry and stay in Japan under its existing programmes.
“JICA remains committed to providing thorough explanations to the public regarding its activities,” the statement noted.
The agency has urged all enquiries relating to the matter to be directed to JICA headquarters and not to the affected Japanese municipalities.
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