Godffrey Olali
19 May 2008
Nairobi — The Japanese Government will soon roll out an ambitious plan aimed at bringing rapid development in Africa.
The plan will be laid bare at a key meeting bringing together more than 2,000 delegates from Africa and Asia later this month.
In Kenya, Japan plans to fund the construction of Mombasa Port container terminal whose work only awaits approval from a consultant.
Tokyo has also promised to send $20 million (Sh1.2 billion) to Kenya for resettling Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and buying farm inputs like fertiliser.
The summit, the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), will be held between May 28 and 30, with its key priorities being boosting economic growth in Africa, human security, tackling environmental issues and climatic change.
According to the Japanese Ambassador to Kenya, Mr Shigeo Iwatani, the delegates will discuss underlying challenges facing the continent, such as implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the looming food crisis, poverty eradication, regional integration and infrastructure development.
"This will be the biggest event on Africa in Japan where we will demonstrate to African countries and the world, that Japan together with other actors like non governmental organizations, private companies and individuals are concerned with the happenings in the continent," said Mr, Iwatani, the Ambassador during an interview with the Nation in his Nairobi office.
Japan, he added, is trying to attract stake-holders including the international community to join "our efforts" in bringing hope and opportunity to the African continent.
The objective of the TICAD conference is to come up with a road map on how to approach issues in Africa for the next five years and adopt a declaration, action plan and a follow- p mechanism.
He added: "We also aim to mobilise the knowledge and resources of the international community to support recent political and economic developments in Africa thereby consolidating sustainable growth."
TICAD is a post-cold war policy forum for African development initiated by Japan in 1993 with partners like the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank.
The first TICAD session provided an important opportunity to renew public awareness towards Africa. It's usually held after every five years.
The major areas
According to Mr Iwatani, one of the major areas to be tackled during the three-day summit, to be held in the city of Yokohama, the major areas will be helping African countries to achieve the Eight MDGs such as education for all, eradication of poverty, gender equality, women empowerment, reduction of child mortality and access to medical services.
Others include combating HIV/Aids, Malaria and other diseases, improving maternal health, environmental sustainability and to develop global partnership.
To achieve this, he says, Japan aims at ensuring peace building efforts within the human security concept, improving health, sanitation, education and empowering people.
"We have provided innovative ideas which we will follow to the letter," says the envoy, who added that Tokyo has vowed to tackle poverty in Africa by boosting economic development and infrastructure with an aim to bringing more foreign investors.
The diplomat praised African leaders for coming up with key institutions such us the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), which were created after the first TICAD conference in 1993.
He said the institutions under the umbrella of African Union (AU) have stimulated development, growth and good governance in Africa.
Mr Iwatani said that he was impressed by the improved post-cold war relationship between Africa and Japan.
"In the Japanese Parliament, already we have a large body of MPs under the auspices of the Japan - Africa Friendship Parliamentarian Association (JAFP), who regularly visit Africa and interact with leaders."
"After the cold war period, African countries have continued getting aid from Japan and I believe we will continue with the mutual relationship. This is why all African countries are invited to attend the 4th TICAD conference."
During the first TICAD conference, only five African heads of state attended, but the number has since been improving after every five years, a move which shows that Japan and African countries have been keen to solidify their relationship.
The Motto of this year's event will be: "Towards a Vibrant Africa; A continent of Hope and Opportunity."
The summit comes few weeks only after Japan's recent announcement that several African countries will benefit from its grand plan to build 1,000 schools and train about 100,000 African teachers to enhance their abilities in the classroom over the next five years.
The country's foreign minister Masahiko Koumura said Japan's experiences in Central America and in African countries such as Kenya have shown that enhancing teachers' classroom abilities in maths and science plays a decisive role in achieving high standards of education.
Reiterated Mr Iwatani during the interview: "We will try to address the needs of individual countries, but I reckon many African states are in dire need since it's open knowledge that education is the key tool to fight poverty."
In terms of balance of trade between Japan and Africa, he says, the continent leads.
"The trade balance is in favour of Africa because we import oil and mineral resources. In Africa, Nigeria is Japan's biggest oil supplier while Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania provide the Asian giant with the biggest chunk of coffee and tea."
Japan has also vowed to help Africa to combat it's perennial conflicts by boosting African Union peace keeping efforts.
On climate change, Mr Iwatani said he is saddened by the fact that the African continent has been the main victim of this deadly phenomenon.
He says after the controversial Kyoto Protocol, the world must to come up with a new strategy of tackling deadly emission which should be reduced by half by the year 2050.
He says his country has already initiated a concept; Cool Earth Programme; where Japan alone will pump $10 billion and establish an international account so that countries can contribute money to the kitty.
On African regional integration, the envoy sees prospects but he encourages member countries to solve perennial cross-border conflicts and bickering.
He adds that Japan is keen on ensuring sustainability of East African Community initiative.
This, has been done by sending Japanese experts to the EAC secretariat to support its efforts.
On the proposed EAC political federation, he says political unity has to take time to attain, giving an example of European Union where some member countries gave a resounding NO to a referendum which sought to have one currency unit.
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