Japan Denies Nigeria’s Claim on Special Visas Under Africa Initiative
(MENAFN) Japan on Tuesday firmly rejected claims about issuing special visas through the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) "Africa hometown" program. Tokyo called on Nigeria to withdraw its statement asserting that a "special visa" decision was finalized at the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9).
In an official response, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said both Japan and JICA have requested Nigeria to amend the original press release and issue a corrected version clarifying the visa situation.
The ministry’s statement came after Nigeria’s Office of the President issued a release last Friday referencing the JICA initiative. The Japanese government noted the statement "contained information inconsistent with the facts, such as the issuance of a special visa" by Japan.
According to media, Nigeria had announced Japan’s plan to "create a special visa category for highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians who want to move to Kisarazu (the city assigned to Nigeria as a partner) to live and work."
Japan’s denial follows a wave of social media speculation about Tokyo introducing a special visa scheme to attract African migrants as a solution to labor shortages and rejuvenate rural communities.
The "JICA Africa Hometown" program designates four Japanese cities as “hometowns” for four African nations, aiming to foster cultural and economic exchanges through various initiatives, the ministry explained in a statement on Monday.
"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, and the series of reports and announcements concerning such measures are not true," the ministry added.
Last week’s TICAD 9 in Yokohama hosted nearly 50 African heads of state, prime ministers, and foreign ministers. During the conference, Japan pledged $5.5 billion in loans to support sustainable development across the continent.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
