Japan Denies Plans to Create Special Visa for Skilled Nigerians, Contradicting Tinubu’s Earlier Claim

Japan Denies Plans to Create Special Visa for Skilled Nigerians, Contradicting Tinubu’s Earlier Claim

 

 

The Japanese government has denied claims that it is creating a special visa category for skilled Nigerians wishing to live and work in Kisarazu, a city recently designated as Nigeria’s “hometown” in Japan.

 

The clarification comes days after President Bola Tinubu’s administration, through a statement by Abiodun Oladunjoye, Director of Information at the State House, announced that Tokyo had agreed to grant a “special visa category” for highly skilled and talented Nigerians to relocate to Kisarazu. The statement, dated August 22, also claimed that artisans and other blue-collar workers from Nigeria would benefit from the arrangement.

 

The reports followed the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) held last week in Yokohama, where the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) unveiled the “JICA Africa Hometown” initiative. The scheme seeks to promote cultural and economic exchanges between African countries and Japanese local governments. Under the arrangement, Kisarazu was designated as Nigeria’s “hometown,” while Nagai was paired with Tanzania, Sanjo with Ghana, and Imabari with Mozambique.

 

However, in a statement issued on Monday, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs flatly rejected suggestions that the initiative included new immigration benefits or special visa categories for Africans.

 

“The ‘JICA Africa Hometown’ programme is designed to promote exchanges between the designated Japanese cities and the African countries through cultural and cooperative activities, such as hosting exchange events involving JICA overseas cooperation volunteers,” the ministry said.

 

“On the other hand, there are no plans to take measures to promote the acceptance of immigrants or issue special visas for residents of African countries. Reports and announcements to that effect are not true,” it added.

 

The development directly contradicts earlier claims by the Nigerian presidency, which were widely reported in local and international media.

 

Japan’s foreign ministry assured that it would continue to provide accurate updates regarding its engagement with African countries under the “Hometown” initiative.