The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has terminated its controversial “JICA Africa Hometown” initiative, citing “misunderstandings and confusion” stemming from Nigeria’s claim that Japan would create special visas for young Nigerians to relocate to Kisarazu city. JICA President Tanaka Akihiko announced the decision, apologizing to affected municipalities for the unintended controversy.
Key Points:
- JICA ended the initiative due to public misunderstanding and operational burden.
- Nigeria’s State House had announced a special visa category for skilled Nigerians.
- Japan previously denied plans for such visas in August.
- The term “hometown” and city designation caused confusion in Japan.
- Four Japanese municipalities were involved in the now-scrapped project.
- JICA apologized to local governments for the situation.
- The initiative aimed to foster people-to-people ties between Japan and Africa.
- The announcement was made during a press briefing on Thursday.
Sources: TheCable Nigeria
