Ruto, Musalia to lead team to TICAD9
By Lucas Barasa, May 16, 2025President William Ruto is expected to lead Kenyan delegation for the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) slated for Yokohama, Japan, from August 20 to August 22.
Also expected to attend the event held every three years, is Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi who is also in-charge of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
The conference brings together African Heads of State and business leaders and Japanese government and business leaders as well as other stakeholders drawn from the public and private sector in addition to international and continental bodies, to discuss possible areas of collaboration.
Japan government has been leading the conference since 1993, co-hosted by the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, and African Union Commission (AUC). Since 2016, TICAD has alternated between Africa and Japan, with the 2016 and 2022 editions hosted in Nairobi and Tunis, respectively.
The TICAD VI held in Nairobi on August 27 and August 28, 2016 was the first to be held in Africa. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended and served as co-chair along with then President Uhuru Kenyatta, and Mr. Idriss Deby Itno (Chad President) and who was the African Union chairperson.
Some 11,000 people participated in TICAD VI, including the representatives of 53 African countries as well as development partner countries and Asian countries, international and regional organizations, the private sector, and civil society such as NGOs.
In addition, a business mission with leaders from 77 organisations including Japanese businesses and universities accompanied Abe and introduced Japanese private-sector initiatives at each session.
Yesterday, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO); Chairman and CEO Ishiguro Norihiko announced that it will host the TICAD Business Expo and Conference from August 20 to August 22, as one of TICAD9.
“This event will comprise four zones—Japan Fair, Africa Lounge, Event Stage, and Thematic Exhibitions—bringing together diverse content in one venue in a new style of event organization,” the chairman said.
A total of 196 Japanese companies and organisations including 107 small and medium enterprises are to participate in Japan Fair, the largest number ever, making the TICAD business Expo and Conference the largest-ever Africa-related event to be organised by JETRO. In conjunction with TICAD9, JETRO has planned the TICAD Business Expo & Conference as a new style of business events that brings together diverse exhibits and opportunities for interaction.
“In order to support the proactive initiatives of Japanese companies to grasp expanding business opportunities in the African market, JETRO has updated its event model from a conventional exhibition to provide a more practical venue for business exchanges,” a statement from JETRO said.
Japan Fair aims to create new business opportunities in the African market by introducing excellent products, technologies, and the services of Japanese companies to government officials and business leaders visiting Japan from African countries.
The exhibition is comprised of eight thematic zones, based on the African Union’s Agenda 2063, including “Infrastructure,” “Health and Sanitation Improvement,” and “Food Value Chain.” A totally new addition for TICAD9 will be a “Pop Culture” zone.
Africa Lounge will feature the presentation of investment and business information from African governments for Japanese businesspeople interested in doing business in Africa.
The Event Stage will feature seminars based on business themes and thematic panel discussions by Japanese companies. JETRO is also planning panel discussions by key persons from the African business community, as well as other pop culture and innovation-themed events.
At the Thematic Exhibitions JETRO will be showcasing the two themes of “Pop Culture” and “Innovation.” The Pop Culture exhibition will highlight the potential for business development utilising content originating from Japan, and the Innovation exhibition will introduce ideas and technology that promise to open up a new future for Africa and Japan.