Africa Conference: Japan’s Investment and Support are Essential

Editorial

14:14 JST, August 21, 2025

With the rise of powers in Europe and the United States that put their own country first, support for Africa is on the decline. If the free trade system is further shaken, the impact on this region will become even more serious.

Japan should take advantage of its long-standing amicable relations with African countries to contribute even more to their stability and development.

The Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), which brings together national leaders from Japan and African countries, has begun in Yokohama. This year, 49 of the 54 African countries are participating.

On Aug. 22, the final day of the event, a joint declaration is set to be adopted, centered on the “Economic Region Initiative of Indian Ocean-Africa,” a plan to develop new distribution networks connecting the inland areas of the African continent with the Indian Ocean.

TICAD is a first-of-its-kind framework for supporting Africa that Japan started in 1993. In addition to supporting nation-building through its official development assistance, Japan has also worked with nongovernmental organizations to improve public health and other areas.

In recent years, the Japanese government has been encouraging private companies to actively invest in Africa to capitalize on its growth. In light of these efforts, Suzuki Motor Corp., a major automaker targeting India as its primary market, is considering establishing sales bases in Africa and expanding exports.

The government will present a new initiative to develop distribution networks at TICAD as it aims to support investment by private companies.

The African continent is rich in mineral resources, such as copper and cobalt. From the perspective of economic security, it is significant for Japan to strengthen ties with African countries as a supply chain for important resources.

Although there are still many developing countries in Africa, each country has an equal vote in the United Nations. Strengthening relations with African nations is also important for advancing discussions on U.N. reforms, among other issues.

Many African countries are currently facing new challenges.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has taken the step of significantly reducing foreign aid. In European countries where right-wing forces have gained power, there is also a growing movement to reduce development assistance.

This spring, a senior official of the South African government requested support for tackling HIV from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). This was because South Africa could not rely on the United States and Europe, but JICA, which was short of funds, was reportedly unable to meet the request. This was extremely regrettable.

In the future, African countries may increasingly rely on Japan in many cases.

African nations are suffering from the “reciprocal” tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration.

If the distance between Africa and the liberal camp widens, authoritarianism could spread, potentially destabilizing the world. Japan must work persistently to maintain the free trade system.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 21, 2025)