On April 30, commencing at 10:50 a.m. local time (April 30, 6:50 p.m. JST) for approximately 90minutes, Ms. KAMIKAWA Yoko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, who is visiting the Federal Republic of Nigeria, held a foreign ministers’ meeting with H.E. Ambassador Yusuf Maitama TUGGAR, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Federal Republic of Nigeria. The overview is as follows.
At the outset, Minister Kamikawa stated that the number of new investments by Japanese companies having attention to Nigeria’s potential is increasing and expressed her will to further strengthen business and economic ties with Nigeria, the largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa, with its abundant entrepreneurial spirit, and to cooperate for Nigeria’s human resources development in the fields of start-ups and business-related laws. Furthermore, she expressed that Japan will cooperate with Nigeria in addressing the challenges it faces in the areas of food security and measures against infectious diseases.
In response, Minister Tuggar welcomed Minister Kamikawa’s visit to Nigeria and expressed his appreciation for Japan’s supports for food security and measures against infectious diseases that have recently been signed. He also expressed his expectation for further enhancement of bilateral economic relations by utilizing Japanese technology and financial resources and expansion of Japanese companies into Nigeria.
Minister Kamikawa stated that Japan will support political and economic stability of Nigeria and other coastal countries of the Gulf of Guinea by continuing humanitarian and development assistance to address the root causes such as poverty and humanitarian crises in the Sahel. Minister Tuggar stated that strengthening of democracy is not a one-time event but a time-consuming process and the stability cannot be achieved otherwise, and explained concrete efforts by Nigeria. The two ministers shared their recognition regarding strengthening of partnership in this area.
Moreover, Minister Kamikawa stated that Japan is implementing the efforts to support women’s livelihoods and prevention of gender-based violence in North-East Nigeria based on the perspective of Women, Peace and Security (WPS), and that she would like to further strengthen the partnership in the field of WPS. The two Ministers also confirmed the strengthening of cooperation in the international arena, including the situation in East Asia, WPS, nuclear disarmament, and strengthening of the functions of the United Nations, including the Security Council reform.
Minister Tuggar introduced two Nigerians who studied in Japan, and each states the importance of Japan-Nigeria cooperation in the field of measures against infectious diseases and cooperation in the field of business based on Japanese model, and explained the importance of human resources development through study in Japan and exchange and cooperation between universities and educational institutions of both countries.
The two ministers confirmed to further strengthen bilateral relations towards the TICAD Ministerial Meeting in August this year and TICAD 9 in August next year.
(Reference) Women, Peace and Security (WPS)
In 2000, for the first time in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)’s history, the UNSC unanimously adopted “Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Resolution 1325,” which clearly stated that international peace, conflict prevention and conflict resolution require the equal participation of women, protection from sexual violence in conflict, and gender equality. To implement this and subsequent resolutions, Japan has formulated action plans three times and implemented them.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
