Nigeria and Japan have agreed to deepen economic ties through increased investment, industrial development, technology transfer and energy cooperation to achieve more meaningful growth.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this during a bilateral meeting with Japan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Suzuki Hideo, on Tuesday in Abuja, marking 66 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by Dr Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The minister said Nigeria is committed to a strategic, mutually beneficial partnership with Japan, built on Japan’s long-standing development assistance. She called for stronger efforts to translate bilateral agreements into tangible economic and development outcomes.
She spoke on the need to implement the outcomes of the 10th Nigeria-Japan Special Partnership Forum held in Abuja on Aug. 27, 2026.
She said this could be done through concrete programmes, investment commitments and regular consultations between the foreign affairs ministries of both countries.
She also stressed the need to build stronger partnerships between Nigerian and Japanese companies through joint ventures, local content development, skills transfer and integration into Japanese supply chains.
“Greater engagement by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) was encouraged to connect investors with credible Nigerian businesses and public-sector partners,” she said.
On energy, she said Nigeria welcomed Japan’s interest in resilient energy and critical-mineral supply chains that encourage investment in solid minerals, gas development, cleaner energy technologies and industrial decarbonisation.
She further highlighted Japan’s development cooperation through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, education and technical training.
According to her, Nigeria welcomes a JICA-supported 10 million dollar initiative that could strengthen the country’s start-up ecosystem through catalytic capital and institutional development, in partnership with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority.
On regional security, she acknowledged Japan’s contribution to peace-building, humanitarian assistance and stabilisation in Nigeria and West Africa.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional stability through the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), while encouraging continued Japanese support for African-led peace and development initiatives.
On consular affairs, the minister underscored the need for continued dialogue on visa-related challenges and practical measures to facilitate legitimate travel for business people, students, researchers, government officials and tourists.
“Existing cordial relations between Nigeria and Japan can be translated into a more dynamic partnership focused on investment, industrialisation, technology transfer and shared prosperity,” she said.
She identified a Nigeria-Japan Industrial and Investment Hub as key to facilitating business partnerships, technology transfer, industrial growth and access to the wider African market.
She requested the Japanese Embassy’s assistance in developing a practical roadmap for implementing the initiative.
For his part, Suzuki said Japan was keen to deepen bilateral cooperation with Nigeria, describing the move as strategic for Nigeria as Africa’s giant. He assured her that visa-related issues would be handled expeditiously. (NAN)
