The Government of Japan has designated the city of Kisarazu as the official hometown for Nigerians willing to live and work in the country, as part of its strategic efforts to deepen cultural diplomacy, promote economic growth, and enhance workforce productivity.

The announcement was made on Thursday on the sidelines of the ongoing Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama.

Under the new arrangement, the Japanese Government will create a special visa category for highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians who wish to reside and work in Kisarazu. Nigerian artisans and other blue-collar workers who are ready to upskill will also benefit from the special visa dispensation.

At the ceremony, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) also announced the designation of Nagai in Yamagata Prefecture as the hometown of Tanzania, Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture as the hometown of Ghana, and Imabari in Ehime Prefecture as the hometown of Mozambique.

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Nigeria’s Charge d’Affaires and Acting Ambassador to Japan, Mrs. Florence Akinyemi Adeseke, alongside Mr. Yoshikuni Watanabe, Mayor of Kisarazu, jointly received the certificate of designation from the Japanese Government.

Through this initiative, Japan seeks to strengthen exchanges with the four African countries by officially connecting municipalities with existing relations, fostering people-to-people ties, and boosting manpower development. Local authorities also expressed optimism that the designation will increase the population of their cities and contribute to regional revitalisation.

Kisarazu has long-standing ties with Nigeria, having hosted Team Nigeria during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, when the athletes held their pre-Games training camp and acclimatisation exercises in the city before moving to the Olympic Village.

Delivering his opening address at TICAD9, Japanese Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, announced $5.5 billion in new investments across Africa, underscoring the importance of mutual understanding, co-creation, and locally driven solutions.