The Japanese government has denied claims that its new “JICA Africa Hometown” initiative includes granting Nigerians or other Africans special visas or immigration privileges
In a statement released Monday, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said reports suggesting Nigerians relocating to Kisarazu city would receive a new visa category were “contrary to the facts.”
The ministry explained that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) launched the Africa Hometown programme during the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development to foster partnerships between African nations and Japanese local governments.
“Under this program, four cities in Japan are designated as hometowns for four African countries. JICA plans to encourage exchanges through various activities, including events involving overseas cooperation volunteers,” the statement said.
The ministry stressed that there are no plans to introduce immigration measures or special visas for Africans, dismissing such reports as false. It also pledged to ensure accurate reporting on the matter.
This comes after a statement from Nigeria’s Federal Government last week claimed Japan had designated Kisarazu as the “hometown” for Nigerians and would create a special visa category for highly skilled and talented youths, as well as artisans willing to upskill.
Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Japan, Florence Akinyemi Adeseke, alongside Kisarazu Mayor Yoshikuni Watanabe, was presented with a certificate naming the city the “hometown” of Nigerians.
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