ADDIS ABABA – Japan would support African nations to achieve economic development, regional cooperation and social stability for shared prosperity,Senior Advisor said.
Japan implements the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) initiatives to improve African nations’ economic development, the private sector, social stability, regional cooperation and integration, Senior Advisor to Director General Planning and TICAD Process Division African Department, Inui Eiji said.
Eiji told The Ethiopian Herald that his country has been applying Kaizen philosophy to enable Africa achieve development and productivity, reduce poverty through strengthening the capacity of community empowerment training centers and supporting the AU and other regional organizations.
As to him, JICA has launched and implemented a wide range of initiatives under the TICAD process, which have produced concrete development results.
He added that respect for African ownership and promotion of partnership are the two core principles of TICAD that are developed into an opportunity for a wide range of actors to discuss and promote concrete activities for better African growth.
Japan will support Africa’s efforts to achieve peace and stability, which are required preconditions for economic growth, investment and betterment of livelihoods, under the new approach in supporting institutional building in the continent by implementing capacity building, the Advisor noted.
According to him, Japan has inaugurated a new Kiazen Excellence Center in Ethiopia which is vital to enhance socio economic activities if fully and properly utilized.
The Excellence Center Ethiopia contributes a lot for their development of the country in terms of equipping Ethiopians with the required skills as well as expanding knowledge to government and private business people, Eiji added.
CEO of AU Development Agency, Nardos Bekele on her part said that the union would solidify partnership with TICAD to achieve agenda 2063. “Our dedication, commitment would facilitate sustainable social and economic development across the continent.”
“TICAD in the last three decades, it advocate and promote sustainable development for African continent with specifically key development actors in catalyzing concrete actions to address Africa’s main challenges from political stability to environmental degradation, infrastructure development and educational training,” she said.
She added TICAD helps Africa to harness human capital for development initiatives in a way that left no one behind. “TICAD is essential to foster our culture of peace and addressing, culture of understanding to intensify share good practices and see prosperous Africa.”
BY MISGANAW ASNAKE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2024
