[Event Report] AUDA-NEPAD / JICA Side Event “TICAD’s achievement in 30 years and the Prospects for Africa’s Development” was successfully held

In the last 30 years, Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) has transformed into a dynamic platform dedicated to advancing sustainable development in Africa. It has played a pivotal role in facilitating dialogue among crucial stakeholders and catalyzing tangible actions to tackle the continent's pressing challenges.

Celebrating its 30^th anniversary in 2023, JICA and African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) have undertaken on a joint survey to validate the significance and achievements of TICAD over the past 30 years. The survey aims to identify key achievements, major challenges and provide insights for the future development of Africa. As part of these efforts, the side event was collaboratively organized by JICA and AUDA-NEPAD on the margins of the AU Summit 2024 on 16^th February at KAIZEN Excellence Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

JICA and AUDA-NEPAD had the event to disseminate tentative outcomes of the joint survey to African leaders, TICAD partners and a broad audience from Africa and around the world, and to receive comments and suggestions.
The event featured high-level participants from the AUC, the Government of Japan, AUDA-NEPAD, JICA, UNDP and the Kaizen Excellence Centre as speakers, presenter and panelists.

Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Fukazawa Yoichi, underscored Japan's unwavering commitment to proactively address the diverse challenges faced by individual countries. He highlighted Japan's intention to foster collaboration specifically for the African continent. This commitment is particularly crucial as part of the preparatory efforts leading up to the TICAD ministerial meeting scheduled for 2024 and the subsequent TICAD-9 in 2025.

In his statement, Mr. Steve Patrick Lalande, AUC Director for Partnership and Resource Mobilisation of AUC, emphasized that “This historic occasion not only marks 3 decades of collaboration and partnership between Africa and Japan but also serves as an opportune time for all of us to celebrate the progress we have made for this continent.”

The keynote speech was delivered by Mr. Nakamura Toshiyuki, Special Advisor to the JICA President, emphasizing the development of TICAD over the last 30 years and the impacts of JICA's cooperation. The speech highlighted the fruitful partnership between JICA and AUDA-NEPAD, showcasing the collaborative efforts that have played a pivotal role in the TICAD process.

The panel, moderated by Dr. Gideon Nimako, AUDA-NEPAD Senior Programme Officer, placed an emphasis on the accomplishments, tangible impacts, and future direction of the TICAD process. Dr. Msingathi Sipuka, Chief of Staff and Mr. Amine Idriss Adoum, Director of Infrastructure, Connectivity, and Industrialisation of AUDA-NEPAD reflected institutional and technical development through TICAD process. They acknowledged the significant strides that have been made in various sectors, from infrastructure development and healthcare to education and trade.

In response to question about key milestones in promoting cooperation between Africa and Japan within TICAD process, Ms. Selamawit Solomon, Deputy Managing Director of Kaizen Excellence Centre, said "When discussing the impact of TICAD, this Kaizen Excellence Centre should be mentioned first". Mr. Komatsubara Shigeki, Resident Representative of UNDP Tanzania, highlighted that TICAD is not a bilateral ODA conference, rather it serves as a flexible and open forum to engage with private sectors and the international community in addressing emerging agendas for Africa’s development.

Mrs. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD, highlighted the significance of partnership and collaboration in propelling sustainable development across the African continent in her closing remarks.

"Over the past three decades, TICAD has evolved into a progressive platform which continues to advocate and promote sustainable development for the African continent, specifically, fostering dialogue among key development actors, and catalyzing concrete actions to address Africa’s most pressing issues", Mrs. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD said.

The event brought together AU Member States, development partners, international organizations, private sector, and civil society to showcase the outcome of the joint survey on the TICAD 30 Years Review. This endeavor will surely be crucial as part of the preparatory efforts leading up to the TICAD-9 in 2025 and beyond.