Breaking: Japan Speaks Out Over Plans to Create Special Visas for Skilled Nigerians
- Japan denies reports of creating a special visa category for skilled Nigerians under the JICA Africa Hometown initiative
- The Nigerian State House earlier claimed Japan would open visas for Nigerians to live and work in Kisarazu, sparking confusion
- Japan clarifies the programme is aimed at cultural and developmental exchanges, not immigration or visa provisions
The Japanese government has denied reports that it is creating a special visa category for skilled Nigerians who wish to relocate to Kisarazu, a city recently designated as Nigeria’s “hometown” under the JICA Africa Hometown initiative.
The denial follows widespread reports citing a statement from the Nigerian State House, which claimed that Japan would open a special dispensation visa for Nigerians to live and work in Kisarazu.
Source: UGC
Background to the misunderstanding
At the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) held last week in Yokohama, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) unveiled the JICA Africa Hometown programme to deepen exchanges between African countries and Japanese local governments.
Under the initiative, four Japanese cities were matched with four African nations: Kisarazu with Nigeria, Nagai with Tanzania, Sanjo with Ghana, and Imabari with Mozambique.
In a statement dated 22 August, Abiodun Oladunjoye, director of information at the Nigerian State House, claimed that Japan would create “a special visa category for highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians who want to move to Kisarazu to live and work.”
The statement also suggested that “artisans and other blue-collar workers from Nigeria who are ready to upskill will also benefit from the special dispensation visa to work in Japan.”
Japanese foreign ministry issues denial
Reacting to the reports, the Japanese foreign ministry clarified that the programme was solely designed to encourage cultural and developmental exchanges, not immigration, The Cable reported.
“The JICA Africa Hometown programme plans to promote exchanges between the four Japanese cities and the four African countries through various activities, including the organisation of exchange events involving JICA overseas cooperation volunteers,” the ministry said.
It added:
“On the other hand, there are no plans to take measures to promote the acceptance of immigrants or issue special visas for residents of African countries, and the series of reports and announcements concerning such measures are not true,” it added.
Japan and Nigeria: Moving forward with cultural exchanges
Source: UGC
The ministry further emphasised that it would continue to ensure accurate communication of its initiatives to avoid future misinterpretations, Vanguard reported.
It noted:
“The Japanese government remains committed to building strong ties with African nations through people-to-people exchanges, knowledge sharing, and development cooperation, but not through immigration-related measures.”
7 things to know about Kisarazu
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria and Japan had taken a historic step in their bilateral relations after Kisarazu City in Chiba Prefecture was officially named the hometown for Nigerians.
The announcement coincided with the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) and introduced a special visa programme to attract Nigerian students, skilled workers, and professionals.
Source: Legit.ng
