Africa high on Japan’s agenda in 2008
World Bank Africa Region Vice President Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili launches the Bank's partnership with Japan for TICAD IV, next year's global development conference for Africa in Yokohama.
Africa Region Vice President Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili made a visit to Tokyo on December 12-14, where she spent two days talking to numerous stakeholders in government, civil society, business and the media, making a passionate case for Africa during a Foreign Correspondents' Club media luncheon.
Japan will be the center of attention for the African development agenda in May 2008 as it hosts the fifth annual Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV), where over 40 African heads of state are expected. Later in the year, Japan will chair the G-8 Summit at the Lake Toya resort on the northern island of Hokkaido.
Close collaboration between Japan, the Bank, the United Nations Development Programme and other global donors will be critical to produce concrete outcomes for Africa.
While Japan has long been an active donor in African development projects, the visit by Ezekwesili, an African and former Cabinet Minister in Nigeria, to address questions and concerns among Japanese government officials clearly resonated with local audiences and had an impact.
“Japan is a very important, strategic international player in the world,” Ezekwesili announced to a full house at the Foreign Correspondents' Club. “It has a huge responsibility and it gives me great delight that the people and the government of Japan recognize that responsibility towards Africa should not be undervalued.”
During her visit, Ezekwesili stressed that Africa is turning a corner in its development history, with growth holding steady in many countries above five percent and moving forward even faster in countries that are exploiting their wealth in natural resources. But, she said, another group of countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, are not growing even at the same rate as population growth, and it is here where the efforts of the international development community must be redoubled.
The visit by the Bank's Africa region vice president came just as Japan's contribution to the International Development Association (IDA-15) replenishment became public. The visit is part of strategic efforts by the Bank to raise awareness and commitment to Africa.
The TICAD conference is also expected to create momentum for the African development aid agenda before the leaders of the major industrial nations meet at the G-8 Summit.
Ezekwesili noted that around 50 percent of IDA's resources are directed to Africa and she appreciated the extraordinary efforts made by Japan to maintain its role as the third largest donor to IDA with a substantial contribution of $3.2 billion.