Reports circulating on social media about Nigeria’s “empty booth” at the ongoing 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama, Japan, have been described as misleading and unrepresentative of the country’s mission at the summit.
The viral posts, which showed a stand labelled “Nigeria” without displays, suggested the country was absent from the event. However, officials clarified that Nigeria’s delegation, led by President Bola Tinubu, did not travel to Japan for a trade exhibition. Instead, it is focused on high-level strategic engagements aimed at unlocking investments in key sectors of the economy, particularly power, industry, and agriculture.
According to the Presidency, the Nigerian delegation is working in concert with leading figures from Corporate Nigeria and has a packed schedule of bilateral and multilateral meetings with international partners. These include engagements with Toyota Corporation, CFAO, UN-Habitat, UNDP, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
On Thursday, August 21, 2025, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) will also host an investment forum to showcase opportunities in Nigeria.
A major focus of the visit is the power sector. The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, is spearheading negotiations on several projects supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). These include the Lagos–Ogun Power Transmission System Improvement project, which is expected to boost grid stability and industrial connections along the corridor.
Other initiatives involve a partnership between JICA and the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) to improve vocational training in the sector, as well as the $190 million “Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy Scale-up” project designed to expand access to clean energy.
Minister Adelabu is also scheduled to meet with major Japanese Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), including TOSHIBA and HITACHI, to deepen Nigeria’s industrial and technological collaboration.
In addition, the Bank of Industry (BoI), under its Managing Director/Chief Executive, Dr. Supo Olusi, is engaging JICA and other multilateral institutions in discussions around its annual global fund syndication to support Nigeria’s industrial growth.
Officials noted that social media content is often sensational and incomplete, stressing that the trending video of an empty booth fails to capture Nigeria’s real presence and participation at TICAD 9.
“Nigeria is fully and well represented and is part of the essential conversations and negotiations that matter at TICAD 9,” said Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
