Yokohama: The 9th edition of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) commenced its second day on Thursday in Yokohama, Japan, featuring keynote speeches by President of the African Union, Joo Louren§o, and Japanese Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, during a Public-Private Business Dialogue.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the session was part of a conference that began on Wednesday with an emphasis on fostering Africa's future growth. Shigeru Ishiba reflected on Japan's commitment to Africa since initiating TICAD in 1993, a time following significant geopolitical shifts marked by the end of the Cold War.
In his address, Ishiba emphasized Africa's potential, noting the continent's youthful demographic, with an average age of 19. He underscored the importance of investing in capacity building and employment for young people and women to drive Africa's development as a future growth center.
As part of these efforts, Japan plans to train 300,000 people in Africa in the next three years. Additionally, the country aims to enhance skills in artificial intelligence, targeting the training of 30,000 professionals in this field. Japan also committed to boosting investment in Africa's health sectors, starting with the establishment of the Universal Health Coverage Knowledge Center and training 35,000 professionals to implement universal coverage.
In the health sector, Japan pledged continued support for vaccine provision, committing up to USD 550 million to the Gavi Alliance for Vaccines over the next five years. Furthermore, Japan is dedicated to advancing education in Africa, aiming to enhance the learning experience for 10 million children and train 150,000 high-level talents.
