JRI Research Journal;Vol.5 No.2,
Rising Expectations for African Economies - Japan to leverage TICAD8 to strengthen relations
Tomohisa Ishikawa
Summary
The Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8) will take place in Tunisia in August this year. TICAD is an international gathering on the theme of African economic development that the Japanese government has taken the lead in organizing since 1993, and is a key opportunity for deepening relations between Japan and African nations.
Global interest in Africa has been rising in recent years, and there are a number of reasons for this: (1) solid economic growth, (2) a population that will continue to increase until 2100, (3) a rapid spurt in the number of startups, and (4) market integration by the African Union (AU), which could be described as the African equivalent of the EU. Africa has been described as the global economy’s “final frontier,” and China and other countries are accelerating moves to boost their presence there.
Compared to China and the West, Japan’s presence in Africa is low. That being said, the number of Japanese companies moving into Africa has been increasing recently.
Japan ought to position TICAD8 as a milestone in the strengthening of a win-win relationship between Africa and Japan and use it as an opportunity to discuss measures that can further enhance the growth potential of African economies. Specifically, Japan should provide support for (1) action to raise the quality of growth, (2) urban development in response to population growth, (3) ties between local startups and Japanese companies, and (4) market integration by the AU.
However, Africa is faced with numerous issues, so urging action to resolve them will be another important theme. Examples of tasks to be tackled include (1) action on COVID-19 and other health issues, (2) correction of excessive dependence on China, (3) action on climate change, and (4) resolution of conflicts and refugee problem. In connection with such tasks, Japan should utilize its insights and provide measures for improvement and assistance that reflect local conditions.