Conclusion of Nine MOUs at TICAD VI

August 2016

On the occasion of the 6th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI), which was held in Africa for the first time, JETRO concluded nine memorandums of understanding with the African Development Bank (AfDB), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), as well as the investment promotion organizations (IPOs) of six African countries. With these MOUs, JETRO will play a leading role in establishing a framework to comprehensively support Japanese companies in Africa. In accordance with this, JETRO Chairman and CEO Hiroyuki Ishige explained to leaders and cabinet members from five African countries how JETRO will contribute to promoting business exchange toward the development of Africa.

The memorandum of understanding with the AfDB is the first for JETRO with an international financial institute. In the presence of State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan Yoshifumi Matsumura, and Deputy President of Kenya William Ruto, it was signed by AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina and JETRO Chairman Hiroyuki Ishige. By leveraging this MOU, JETRO will deepen its relationship with the AfDB in order to introduce high-quality infrastructure produced by Japanese companies to Africa.

The MOU with UNIDO was signed by Chairman Ishige and Director General Li Yong, and it was also the first for JETRO with a United Nations organization. Through the collaboration with UNIDO, JETRO will promote activities including capacity building for African IPOs more effectively than ever before.

Following that, JETRO reached agreements including on the establishment of “Japan Desks” within each African IPO in the MOUs signed with the following organizations: Ken Invest from Kenya, the CPI from Mozambique, Invest-SA from South Africa, CEPICI from Cote d'Ivoire, the NIPC from Nigeria and GAFI from Egypt. In addition, JETRO also signed an MOU with the DBSA which has been conducting development activities in southern Africa.

Chairman Ishige met with the following dignitaries: Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, President of Cote d'Ivoire Alassane Ouattara, Guinean President Alpha Conde, Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto, and Trade and Industry Minister of South Africa Rob Davies. Through each dialogue, Chairman Ishige illustrated JETRO’s supportive activities for expanding business of Japanese companies in Africa, and each country had high hopes for cooperation with JETRO.