From 20 to 22 August 2025, the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) will be held in Yokohama City, Japan. 

Building on the longstanding partnership between Africa and Japan, this conference, under the theme ‘Co-Create Innovative Solutions with Africa’, will be attended by Prime Minister Dr Elijah Tjitunga Ngurare, who will lead the government delegation from Namibia.

TICAD is a framework for African support, launched by the Japanese government in 1993. 

It boasts the longest history as an international forum for partnership with Africa. 

The forum emphasises the importance of African countries’ ownership and international cooperation, in collaboration with co-hosting organisations such as the African Union (AU), the United Nations, UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and the World Bank. Namibia and Japan’s relationship has been built on this spirit of sincere, long-term cooperation. For example, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) continues to support various sectors in Namibia, including education, agriculture, industrial workforce development and logistics infrastructure, with vocational training programmes for young people and primary education being especially highly valued.

In recent years, Japanese private companies have also shown increased interest in Namibia. There is potential for collaboration through technology transfer and sustainable investment in strategic resources like offshore oil and natural gas, rare earth elements, as well as green hydrogen, which are expected to be developed. The Namibian government welcomes Japanese companies that prioritise transparency and sustainability, making TICAD9 a key opportunity to expand private sector cooperation. Ngurare’s visit to Japan also provides a chance to discuss building a sustainable future together, addressing urgent issues such as climate change, food security and human resource development. 

During the conference, numerous thematic events are planned, marking a step toward strengthening cooperation to realise Namibia’s national strategy, Vision 2030, and NDP6. 

For Namibia’s future, collaboration with Japan stands as a bridge of hope. 

It is strongly anticipated that this partnership will advance to a new stage through TICAD9.

*Shinichi Asazuma is Japan’s Ambassador to Namibia.