Peter Ngomba Efande
26 November 2004
"Japan, lasting development and TICAD," were the major highlights during a lecture delivered last Wednesday at IRIC.
Many flocked the conference hall of the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC) to listen to Ambassador Masaki Kunieda whose lecture revolved on five sub themes: the history of Japan, cooperation between Japan and Africa, the evolution of TICAD (the Tokyo International Conference on African Development), Japan-Cameroon relations, and perspectives.
After a brief introduction by the Director of IRIC Professor Jean Emmanuel Pondi, the soft-spoken ambassador then harped on the history of Japan, its relations with China, the devastating effects of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagashaki, and the socio-economic potentials of his country. The audience listened with rapt attention, and learnt how from the rubbles of World War II, Japan in the 1980s became (after the United States) the second "economic power" in the world. The audience also learnt that life expectancy in Japan is the longest in the world (men 79 years and women 84 years).
All these achievements, Ambassador Masaki Kunieda said, are not accidental but due to hard work and determination. He invited Cameroonians to emulate the Japanese who accomplished these enviable achievements in a single generation. "The journey of a 1,000 kilometres," the ambassador went on "begins with the first step."
Tokyo-Cameroon relations got pride of place during the lecture. Diplomatic relations between Cameroon and Japan were estblished in January 1960 and economic cooperation took-off in 1980. One of the most visible realities of this cooperation revolves on the construction of primary schools which the Japanese believe is the pivot to any future development. Reason why for the past eight years, the Japanese have built 62 primary schools with 779 classrooms.
This is not all. With the collaboration of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Japanese government has been training students on computer technology. And, through UNICEF, vaccines have been offered for distribution. Micro-projects also exist for women's empowerment and poverty alleviation. During the October 11 presidential poll, Japan offered 15,000 transparent ballot boxes. Moreover, 22,000 mosquito tents for pregnant women are currently awaiting customs clearance in Douala.
These hallmarks of cooperation are not exhaustive. In future, the Japanese plan to furnish aid to the fishery sector which is in dire need of innovation. Cognizant that Cameroonians are great consumers of rice (and import between 200,000 to 300,000 tons each year), the Japanese are planning to help Cameroonians grow a new variety dubbed NERICA (New Rice for Africa) which will be advantageously adaptable to local realities.
On Africa's trade with Japan, Ambassador Masaki Kunieda regretted that it is "insignificant compared with Japan's overall volume of international trade." As such, in the 1990s, many Japanese companies left Africa. However, since a friend in need is a friend indeed, Africa in general has been benefitting from TICAD's assistance. In October 1993, TICAD-I was organised in Tokyo. Again there was TICAD-II in 1998 in Tokyo and TICAD-II1 in Tokyo from September 29 to October 1, 2003 grouping 23 Heads of State, including President Paul Biya..During the TICAD-III conference, the Japanese Prime Minister announced that Japan will grant CFA one billion dollars for the development of Africa. The Japanese government plans to organise TICAD-IV in 2008.
After his indepth lecture, the Japanese ambassador entertained questions and gave satisfactory answers; much to the delight of Professor Laurent Zang (the Assistant Director of IRIC) who ended "The Diplomatic Forum" by pledging that Cameroonians have learnt much and will henceforth look at the future with optimism and cultivate a spirit of sacrifice as the Japanese.
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