By Atoyebi Nike
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has cancelled its Africa Hometown initiative, citing “misunderstandings and confusion” surrounding the programme.
JICA announced the decision in a statement on Thursday, weeks after reports suggested Japan planned to create a special visa category for Nigerians and other Africans to relocate to Kisarazu, one of the four Japanese municipalities involved.
In August, Nigeria’s State House had relayed that a “special visa category” would be introduced for young, skilled Nigerians to live and work in Kisarazu. However, the Japanese government swiftly denied the claim, clarifying that the initiative was not linked to immigration.
JICA explained that the concept of designating Japanese municipalities as “hometowns” for African countries placed “an excessive burden” on the participating cities.
“After consulting with all parties involved, JICA has decided to withdraw the ‘Africa Hometown’ initiative,” the agency said, apologising to the municipalities affected.
The programme was launched during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development to promote cultural and educational exchanges. JICA stressed it has never undertaken immigration-related initiatives and has “no plans to do so in the future.”
Earlier confusion deepened when Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Japan, Florence Akinyemi Adeseke, and Kisarazu’s Mayor, Yoshikuni Watanabe, publicly received a certificate naming the city the “hometown” of Nigerians. Japan’s Foreign Ministry later clarified that the initiative was strictly for cultural and developmental exchanges, not migration or visas.
