Japan pledges $30 billion aid for Africa

Japan is seeking to further engage with Africa as Tokyo pledged $30 billion in aid for the continent’s development. The aid would be dispersed over three years in coordination with the African Development Bank.

During the eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development that took place in Tunisia Saturday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to provide $30 billion in aid for Africa’s development. Kishida said the aid would be provided in a span of three years, including smaller amounts for the continent’s food security and in coordination with the African Development Bank.

Kishida added that Tokyo would ensure grain shipments to Africa in the face of a global shortage due to the war in Ukraine. The latest pledge by Japan also comes as China is also asserting its influence over the continent with its “Belt and Road” infrastructure initiative.

“If we give up on a rules-based society and permit unilateral changes of the status quo by force, the impact of that will extend not only through Africa but all of the world,” said Kishida in his remarks which were done through video as he tested positive for COVID-19.

The conference over the weekend was the first TICAD meeting since the pandemic. At the last TICAD conference in 2019, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned investors in Africa that they must refrain from burdening countries with excessive debt, taking a swipe at China and its investment practices.

During a joint press conference Friday last week, Tunisian foreign minister Othman Jerandi stressed the country’s commitment to democracy, which has been under scrutiny by critics of Tunisian President Kais Saied.

Wednesday last week, Kishida announced that the country will be easing its pandemic border controls, scrapping pre-departure COVID-19 tests. Kishida announced that the testing would be scrapped starting September 7.

Kishida added at the time that no decision was made on raising the cap of inbound passengers following a report by local media outlets that that quota may be raised from 20,000 to 50,000 per day.

Japan is among the last economies to rely on strict pandemic controls to manage COVID-19 even as 80 percent of its population is already vaccinated. Back in May, Kishida said he plans to bring Japan’s pandemic measures more in line with the fellow G7 nations.