- TICAD9: Tinubu in Japan for Investments, Not for Photo Ops – Presidency
- The Nigeria delegations says it’s attracting investments, building strategic partnerships, and advancing economic transformation
- “The real Nigeria story at TICAD9 is about serious engagements, real deals, and concrete results”
The Presidency has condemned what it described as a deliberate attempt by mischief makers on social media to misrepresent Nigeria’s participation at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan, using a misleading video showing an empty booth labelled “NIGERIA.”
Eko Hot Blog reports that the in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency stressed that Nigeria did not attend TICAD9 to “entertain idle critics or provide content for social media blackmailers.”
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According to the statement, the Nigerian delegation led by President Bola Tinubu is in Japan for the serious task of attracting investments, building strategic partnerships, and advancing economic transformation, not for gimmicks or photo opportunities at a trade exhibition.
“The peddlers of this distortion, whether out of ignorance or malice, insult the intelligence of Nigerians by suggesting that participation is measured by an empty stall rather than the high-level negotiations taking place between government and industry leaders,” the Presidency said.
It added that while critics were circulating videos online, President Tinubu and his team were holding discussions with global leaders, Toyota Corporation, CFAO, UN-Habitat, UNDP, and the International Finance Corporation to secure partnerships with tangible benefits for Nigerians.
In the power sector, Minister Adebayo Adelabu is pursuing multi-billion-dollar projects with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), including the Lagos–Ogun Power Transmission System Improvement Project to stabilise the grid, the NAPTIN–JICA Vocational Training Partnership to strengthen energy sector capacity, and the Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy Scale-up Project supported with $190 million.
Adelabu is also negotiating with global manufacturers such as Toshiba and Hitachi, while the Bank of Industry, under Dr Supo Olusi, is engaging JICA and other multilateral financiers to expand fund syndication for Nigerian enterprises.
“The real Nigeria story at TICAD9 is about serious engagements, real deals, and concrete results,” the Presidency emphasised, adding that it is unfortunate that some people reduced a global summit to the issue of an unmanned booth.
It further warned that while social media critics chase clout with half-truths, the Tinubu administration remains committed to nation building and securing Nigeria’s place as a strong global economic partner.
