Reporting session was held to promote collaboration between JICA program ex-participants from Senegal and Japanese & Senegalese companies

On December 3, 2024, a meeting was held in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, to report on results of four ex-participants of JICA’s long-term training programs, including those from the ABE Initiative, SDGs Global Leader and X-Tech Program. Japanese companies stationed in Senegal, local Senegalese companies, Senegalese government officials, and the Counselor of the Embassy of Japan in Senegal were invited to the event. At this meeting, there were passionate discussions on collaboration between JICA training ex-participants and Japanese and Senegalese companies, and on how to make the ABE Initiative a fruitful program for the current-participants.

The event started with a welcome speech by Mr. Morishita, the Chief Representative of JICA Senegal Office. Mr. Morishita expressed his joy at the opportunity for the ex-participants to share their experiences with Japanese and Senegalese companies and government officials through the meeting. He also raised participants’ awareness by expressing his expectations for further contributions to the business network between Japan and Senegal. Following a warm opening address by the Counselor of the Embassy of Japan in Senegal, JICA Senegal Office provided an overview of the training programs.

Next, four ex-participants delivered presentations on their studies and internship experiences in Japan, raising awareness among Senegalese government officials, the private sector, and Japanese companies stationed in Senegal about the importance of these training programs. In addition, the network among ex-participants was strengthened through their presentations.

This time, ex-participants from different long-term training programs, including the ABE Initiative, SDGs Global Leader, and X-Tech Program, made their presentations. Among them, the presentation by Ms. Ndéye Rokaya CISSE, an ex-participant in X-Tech Program, on improving aquaculture feed using IT technology, received positive feedback from attendees for its relevance in terms of problem awareness, research topics, solutions, and current work. On the other hand, a Japanese company that participated in the event provided advice to all four presenters regarding the content and the language of their presentations, offering opportunities to gain insights for improving future reports.

Next, one Senegalese startup, two Japanese companies stationed in Senegal, and two local Senegalese companies shared their business overviews. This event invited not only Japanese companies but also startups and local Senegalese companies interested in Japan to deliver their presentations. One of the presenter companies, ADEPME (Agency for the Development and Support of Small and Medium Enterprises), introduced “Kaizen,” a well-known Japanese method, providing a good opportunity for not only the ex-participants but also for local Senegalese companies to inspire each other and build networks. The presentations led to further discussions during the networking lunch and other opportunities at the venue.

In the closing remarks, Mr. PAPA BIRAMA THIAM, Director of Technical Cooperation, emphasized the need to further strengthen cooperative relationships not only with Japanese companies but also with Senegalese companies. He expressed gratitude to the Japanese government and JICA, which operate the training programs, the Japanese companies that participated in the event, the JICA training program ex-participants, government officials, the Embassy of Japan in Senegal, and others.

After this session, a networking lunch was held, where attendees deepened their friendships and exchanged lively opinions on the topics below.
1) Development of the industries in Senegal
2) Further activation of business activities by Japanese companies in Senegal.

Through this event, ex-participants were seen seriously discussing with Japanese companies how to become a bridge between Japanese companies and Africa.

During the lunch, ex-participants emphasized the importance of colleagues with the same aspirations, touching on the difficulties of utilizing their experiences, which they had obtained in Japan, in their current workplaces.

JICA continues to support current participants and ex-participants of the ABE Initiative and JICA long-term training programs, while strengthening networking and promoting collaboration with Japanese companies, as well as striving to develop more human resources who will serve as bridges between Africa and Japan.

(Implementation Overview)
• Meeting Name: ABE Initiative Program 7th Reporting Session in Senegal 2024
• Date: December 3, 2024
• Organizer: JICA Senegal Office
• Location: LE NDIAMBOUR Hotel, Dakar, Republic of Senegal

(Participants)
• ABE Initiative ex-participant
o Mr. Massar Pene (ABE 8th Batch)

• SDGs Global Leader Program ex-participant
o Mr. Fafa SENE (SDGs 2020)

• X-Tech Program Ex-participants
o Ms. Ndéye Rokaya CISSE (graduated in 2023)
o Mr. Khadim GAYE (graduated in 2023)

• Japanese Companies - Affiliation and Position
o CFAO MOBILITY SENEGAL, Operations Manager
o Dai Nippon Construction, Dakar Office Manager
o Kagome Co. Ltd., CEO
o Komatsu Senegal Office, Service Engineer
o Matcha Cafe Dakar, Representative
o Mitsubishi Corporation, Head of Senegal Office
o Toda Corporation, Senior Manager (Africa)
o TOMIQUI, CEO

• Local Companies - Position
o FRAISEN, Accounting Project Manager
o SenEngineering International, CEO
o ADEPME, Program Officer
o Platform Technologies, Representative
o Les Jardins De TAGBE, Representative
o Kassane, Founder

• Senegalese Government Officials - Position
o Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation, Training Director
o Ministry of Industry and Commerce, SME Bureau
o Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Institutional Relations, Research and Planning Officer
o Ministry of Vocational Training, Monitoring Office Director
o Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture, Technical Inspector
o Ministry of National Education, Administration Department
o Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, Cooperation Director
o Ministry of Fisheries, Marine, and Port Infrastructure, Saraya District Fisheries Director
o Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications, and Digital, Training Director
o Ministry of Urban Planning, Local Government, and Regional Development, Technical Advisor
o Committee for Youth and Women Entrepreneurship Support, Technical Advisor
o Organization for SME Development, Program Officer
o Investment Promotion and Large-Scale Infrastructure Corporation, HR Director
o Dakar Chamber of Commerce, Research Director
o Senegal-Japan Vocational Training Center, Center Director

• Counselor, Embassy of Japan in Senegal
o Mr. Shinichi Hirose
• President, Association of Former Japanese Trainees and Students (ASEJ)
o Mr. Abdou Malib BA
• Country Manager, Kakehashi Africa
o Ms. Diarietou Gueye

(Program Overview)
• December 3 (Tuesday)
o Welcome speech and Introduction of Guests
　・Mr. Morishita, Chief Representative, JICA Senegal Office
o Opening address
　・Mr. Shinichi Hirose, Counselor, Embassy of Japan in Senegal
o Introduction of JICA programs by JICA Senegal Office
o Presentations by four ex-participants
o Presentation by Senegalese startup (FRAISEN)
o Presentations by two Japanese companies (CFAO MOBILITY SENEGAL, Dai Nippon Construction)
o Presentations by two local Senegalese companies (ADEPME, SenEngineering International)
o Closing remarks
　・Mr. PAPA BIRAMA THIAM, Director of Technical Cooperation
o Networking Lunch

(Background and Purpose)
JICA conducts long-term training programs aimed at developing industrial human resources, government officials, and young researchers in Africa. This reporting session was held to gather ex-participants from the following three programs and promote collaboration with Japanese companies.

<Target Programs>
・ African Business Education Initiative for Youth (ABE Initiative) :
This program targets African youth, providing opportunities for them to obtain master’s degrees from Japanese universities and to participate in internships with Japanese companies. Its goal is to support African industry talents and to make those talents serve as “bridges” guiding Japanese businesses in Africa.

・ SDGs Global Leader :
This program aims to address SDGs-related policy challenges in each country. It focuses on developing top leaders deeply involved in policy decisions and building networks across various sectors (including government agencies, private companies, universities, NGOs, and JICA). Ultimately, it strengthens ties between Japan and Africa by nurturing talents familiar with Japan.

・ X-Tech Program :
This program is aimed at executive candidates at organizations responsible for promoting the digital economy. It has them learn the approach to promote Japan's digital transformation (DX) and develop human resources who will be able to consider DX methodologies suitable for their own countries. It is expected that the trainees will promote X-TECH (creating new value and systems by providing solutions using ICT) from a bird's-eye view in organizations that drive DX, and will form open innovation between public and private sectors.