Japan has officially dismissed reports regarding the establishment of a special visa category for Nigerians aspiring to relocate to Kisarazu, a city recently designated as a “hometown” for Nigeria.
During the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) held last week in Yokohama, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) introduced the ‘JICA Africa Hometown’ initiative aimed at enhancing interactions between African nations and Japanese local governments.
As part of this initiative, JICA has paired four Japanese cities with four African countries: Kisarazu will serve as Nigeria’s hometown, Nagai for Tanzania, Sanjo for Ghana, and Imabari for Mozambique.
A statement from Abiodun Oladunjoye, the director of information at the State House, had indicated that the Japanese government intended to establish “a special visa category for highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians who wish to move to Kisarazu for work and residence.” It also mentioned that artisans and other blue-collar workers from Nigeria eager to enhance their skills would benefit from this special visa arrangement.
This announcement garnered significant media coverage both domestically and internationally.
However, in a statement released on Monday, the Japanese Foreign Ministry refuted these claims. It clarified that the “JICA Africa Hometown” program is focused on fostering exchanges between the designated Japanese cities and the corresponding African countries through various activities, including events featuring JICA overseas cooperation volunteers.
The ministry further emphasized that there are no current plans to implement measures aimed at increasing immigration from African nations or to issue special visas for their residents, deeming reports and announcements regarding such initiatives as inaccurate.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to providing clear and accurate information on this matter.
