Samuel Omang
Japan has pulled the plug on its short-lived Africa Hometown project after confusion over whether the initiative included a new visa route for Nigerians and other Africans.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which unveiled the scheme in August at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, said Thursday it had withdrawn the project because the “hometown” concept created misunderstandings both at home and abroad.
Speculation about migration opportunities surged last month when Nigeria’s presidency announced that Kisarazu, a coastal city near Tokyo, had been designated the “hometown” of Nigerians and that a special visa pathway was in the works. Days later, the Japanese government denied the claim, insisting that the project was limited to cultural and educational exchanges.
Tensions grew further when Nigeria’s top diplomat in Tokyo, Florence Akinyemi Adeseke, and Kisarazu’s Mayor, Yoshikuni Watanabe, were seen exchanging certificates naming the city as Nigeria’s partner hometown — an image that reinforced assumptions about future relocation opportunities.
JICA admitted the branding of the scheme had placed an “excessive burden” on four Japanese municipalities and apologised for fuelling expectations. “The very nature of this initiative led to misunderstandings and confusion,” the agency said, confirming the programme’s cancellation.
The Africa Hometown project had been designed to link four Japanese cities with four African countries, fostering exchanges in education and culture. It was never meant to offer immigration privileges, JICA stressed, adding that Japan has “no plans” to introduce such a pathway.
Although the initiative has now been shelved, JICA pledged to keep supporting other people-to-people exchanges between Japan and Africa.