The Nigerian Presidency has responded to social media criticism regarding an unmanned “NIGERIA” booth at the ongoing 9th Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD9) in Japan.
Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy disclosed this in a statement posted on his X page.
He stated that the viral narrative misrepresents Nigeria’s primary mission, which is focused on high-level strategic engagements rather than a public trade exhibition.
Onanuga explained that the Nigerian delegation, led by President Bola Tinubu and including key business leaders, is concentrating on achieving tangible outcomes through bilateral and multilateral discussions.
He emphasised that the delegation’s schedule does not include participation in the open-forum trade exhibition.
The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) is, however, scheduled to host a separate investment forum.
Onanuga detailed the high-level meetings planned for the Nigerian delegation, noting that Tinubu is set to hold meetings with executives from major corporations like Toyota and CFAO, as well as with international bodies such as the UN-Habitat, UNDP, and the International Finance Corporation.
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Hw noted that the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu is leading pre-activation meetings for several power projects in Nigeria funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
These projects include the Lagos-Ogun Power Transmission System Improvement, a partnership with the National Power Training Institute (NAPTIN) for vocational training, and a $190 million Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy Scale-up program.
The Minister is also scheduled to negotiate with prominent Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) like Toshiba and Hitachi.
Furthermore, the Bank of Industry is engaged in discussions with JICA and other institutions to secure global funds.
Onanuga stressed that the viral video does not accurately reflect Nigeria’s full participation at the conference, and the country is well-represented in the ongoing essential conversations and negotiations.
