By King’s Correspondents
YOKOHAMA – Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Pholile Shakantu has described the just-ended Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) as a mission accomplished for the Kingdom of Eswatini.
She said the presence of His Majesty the King meeting with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Japanese Emperor Naruhito strengthened the two countries’ bilateral relations and that Eswatini is looking at more cooperation beyond the TICAD programme.
TICAD 9 concluded today with the adoption of the Yokohama Declaration – a robust framework for Japan-Africa collaboration emphasising sustainable development, innovation and peace.
She said the Yokohama Declaration outlined actionable priorities to align with Africa’s Agenda 2063 in the following areas:
Human Capital Investment: Japan’s Prime Minister emphasised collaboration to create jobs pledging ¥10 billion (approximately US$68 million or E1.2 billion) over three years for youth exchanges, startup incubators and vocational training programmes to empower Africa’s 600 million-strong youth demographic which constitutes 60 per cent of the continent’s population.
Agricultural Resilience: The Declaration commits to strengthening agricultural systems to address food insecurity targeting a 20 per cent increase in stable food supply chains by 2030 through Japanese technology transfers such as drought-resistant seeds and precision farming tools.
Responsible AI Development: Angola’s President championed safe AI with Japan pledging US$500 million (E8.9 billion) for AI Research Hubs in Africa focusing on ethical frameworks to support governance modernisation.
Infrastructure and Connectivity: Plans to invest US$2 billion (E35.6 billion) in transport and logistics including port and railway upgrades to enhance Africa’s trade connectivity with Asia and beyond.
Critical Minerals Supply: Responsible mining of cobalt, lithium and other minerals critical for green technologies aiming for a 15 per cent increase in sustainable supply by 2028.
Healthcare and Disaster Preparedness: Japan committed US$1.5 billion (E26.7 billion) to bolster African healthcare systems including vaccine production and pandemic prevention alongside US$300 million (E5.3 billion) for early-warning disaster systems.
Peace and Governance: The Declaration reaffirmed Japan’s role in supporting peacebuilding with US$200 million (E3.6 billion) allocated for conflict resolution and governance programmes emphasising democracy and the rule of law as cornerstones of sustainable development.
Minister Shakantu on the sidelines of the conference led a team of cabinet ministers in a bilateral meeting between Eswatini and a Japanese delegation led by Suzuki Takako a former state minister for foreign affairs.
Their meeting focused on solidifying commitments to advance youth empowerment, education, food security, environmental sustainability and diplomatic cooperation.
The minister said based on the outcomes of their bilateral meetings there are good opportunities the two countries can explore.
“Our unique position in relation to the Republic of China (Taiwan) augurs well for Eswatini when the rest of the continent has gone with Mainland China. Taiwan and Japan work very close together and most of the people I spoke to Taiwan was part of the conversation.
Eswatini Ambassador to Malaysia Menzi Dlamini introducing Ndumiso Dlamini, who specialises in robotics and is employed in Japan, to the King.
“In the bilateral with their MPs they also pledged to support their Prime Minister in following up on the commitments he made to His Majesty the King and promised to ensure that it becomes a reality” she said.
The minister said some Japanese were hoping to have an opportunity to meet and greet His Majesty the King because they feel a special connection with emaSwati.
“I met with one Japanese woman investor who runs a business in our country and told me how she intends to expand her operation and further invite more of her colleagues to join her because she loved the reception and respect emaSwati show towards other people.
“She explained that the culture of doing business in the Kingdom has excited her and decent closed her operation in another African country” she said.
The minister further stated that the Eswatini exhibition stand operated by the Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority generated lots of interest not only amongst the Japanese and other Asian counterparts but within the African countries who were also showcasing their products.
“What seem to have been main attraction to them was our culture the Monarchy whom they saw around the conferences and we have everything ripe for our country and we need to position it well to attract investment, tourists and encourage broader relations” she said.
Minister Shakantu said in terms of pushing people-to-people relations they would like to see Eswatini youth being part of the TICAD youth conference which began this year.
“We want Eswatini youth to attend the next TICAD meeting. We want to connect them to other young Japanese youth so that they can explore opportunities where they can collaborate” she said.
Ndumiso Dlamini explains his type of work in robotics to the King.
MINISTER PROUD OF LISWATI WORKING IN JAPANESE ROBOTICS FIRM
YOKOHAMA – Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Pholile Shakantu said she feels very proud to meet emaSwati working in Japanese big tech firms in the robotics sector.
His Majesty the King who had an opportunity to meet with four emaSwati based in Japan in his last dinner hosted for the relation and those working and studying here met one Ndumiso Dlamini.
Dlamini of Siphocosini told the King that he came to Japan as an engineering student in 2006 but ended up getting employed and has been involved in robotics design and assembling ever since.
The minister said the opportunity created by the King to meet emaSwati wherever he goes unveils the wealth of talent the country has around the world.
“The King has always expressed the desire that he would like those emaSwati to one day return home and be involved in creating and leading the same sectors back home. The King even spoke of the E6 billion Industrial Park to be set up with the support of Taiwan and said he would be happy to see emaSwati becoming part of that development” she said.
The minister said the culture of respect which the King encourages all emaSwati in the diaspora to exhibit is the one that sees them being respected by their companies and get to climb the executive ladder faster.
She said His Majesty did express his wish to see emaSwati like Dlamini coming back home to start similar businesses and all they need is support. Minister Shakantu said the country is exploring options to open an embassy here in Japan given the kind of bilateral relations the two countries enjoy.
“We believe in order to strengthen the relations and improve on trade and cooperation we need to have someone on the ground. This we need urgently because of tangible programmes we benefit from Japan. We do not need to wait for TICAD to have contacts with Japan but have people on the ground who will ensure that our relations are strong and be in a position to do follow ups now and then. Currently we service Japan from our Malaysia office and that is quite a distance” the minister said.
