The African Development Bank AfDB, the continent's largest multilateral lender, is poised to lead this transformation, enlisting international support from long-standing development partners like Japan. The AfDB will host a series of side events at TICAD 9 aimed at attracting Japanese investment in green hydrogen, Mission 300, transportation, health, agriculture and education. With aligned priorities - including sustainable infrastructure, green growth and private sector development - the AfDB and Japan are advancing a shared vision for inclusive, resilient growth across the continent.
Strategic partnerships with Japanese agencies - such as Japan International Cooperation Agency JICA, Japan Bank for International Cooperation JBIC, Nippon Export and Investment Insurance NEXI - complement the AfDB's "High 5" development goals by advancing projects in energy, transport, health and climate resilience.
Enduring partnershipJapan's enduring partnership with the AfDB traces back to 1973, when it joined the African Development Fund ADF, the bank's concessional window focused on Africa's most vulnerable economies. In 1982 Japan deepened its engagement by becoming a non-regional shareholder of the bank, solidifying a bilateral relationship rooted in trust, innovation and long-term thinking.
Decades of strong economic cooperation have seen this alliance evolve into a robust platform for development finance, knowledge exchange and private sector engagement. Through initiatives like the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance EPSA, launched in partnership with the AfDB in 2006, Japan has facilitated around 9bn in co-financing for African businesses and infrastructure projects.
Japan has also lent its support to initiatives aimed at accelerating human capital development and driving institutional reform across Africa. Through the Policy and Human Resource Development Grant PHRDG, Japan's government has funded and coordinated skills development and capacity-building programmes across ministries, academia and civil society in multiple African nations.