TICAD 9 Thematic Event: Migration and Human Security in Africa

Human security denotes a reasonably acceptable guarantee for the survival, well-being, and dignity of a human being. When they feel insecure or seek better opportunities, sub-Saharan Africans flee their homes, often setting on an arduous journey, and becoming migrants. Yet the majority of them do not migrate to Europe or North America but within sub-Saharan Africa itself. According to International Migrant Stock 2024 , the figure for intra-sub-Saharan African migrants was more than four times that of migrants to Europe and more than nine times that to North America. In this Thematic Event, experts from sub-Saharan Africa, Japan and international organizations will examine the challenges and opportunities of sub-Saharan African migrants from the point of view of human security.

Objectives:
a) better understanding the lived experiences of migrants, how the patterns of their migration are shaped by structural drivers and the agency of people, and what kinds of challenges and opportunities they face;
b) raising the awareness about the intra-sub-Saharan African migratory process;
c) attempting to bolster the ability of individuals in sub-Saharan Africa to migrate out of choice rather than out of necessity; and
d) contributing to the making of international cooperation policies more focused on the needs of migrants, more systematic in their promotion of human security, and more effective in their outcome.

Key Questions:
・ What are the challenges of making sub-Saharan African migration a matter of choice rather than a matter of necessity?
・ How can stakeholders support sub-Saharan African migrants and their host societies in addressing human security crises—such as climate change, pandemics, economic volatility, violent conflicts, setbacks in development aid, and so on—in an era of emerging political change? What is missing?

12:40-12:45 Opening Remark: Seifudein Adem and Ako Muto (JICA Ogata Research Institute)

12:45-13:30 Presentations
- 12:45-13:00 Professor Scarlett Cornelissen (Stellenbosch University)
- 13:00-13:15 Professor Toyin Falola (University of Texas at Austin)
- 13:15-13:30 Associate Professor Asnake Kefale (Addis Ababa University)

13:30-14:06 Discussion
- 13:30-13:37 Comment for the presentations (1):
Raouf Mazou (UNHCR Headquarters)
- 13:37-13:44 Comment for the presentations (2):
Laura Nicole Tomm-Bonde (IOM Mozambique)
- 13:44-13:51 Comment for the presentations (3)
Yoichi Mine (Executive Director, JICA Ogata Research Institute)
- 13:51-14:06 Presenters’ responses to the comments, questions from the floor

14:06-14:10 Closing Remark: Haruko Kamei (Director General, JICA Ogata Research Institute)

Moderators: Tomomi Orita and Ako Muto (JICA Ogata Research Institute)

Please register by clicking here. For online participants, a Zoom link will be sent later.

Deadline for registration:
In-person: 17:00 on Mon. 18th August 2025
Online: 18:00 on Mon. 18th August 2025

JICA Ogata Sadako Research Institute for Peace and Development（Ms.Itoh and Mr. Oboshi）
E-mail：ditas-rsunit@jica.go.jp