Tokyo International News Agency

JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)'s "Africa Hometown Initiative" is facing a deluge of demands for its "complete revocation" on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). In particular, announcements by the Nigerian government, linking the initiative to immigration and migration, have caused strong distrust and backlash among the Japanese public. The primary source of public concern stems from the Nigerian government's official statements regarding the initiative, which were interpreted as implying "special visa issuance" and "presuming emigration." While JICA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explain these as "misunderstandings," many users assert, "The Japanese public is not misunderstanding," and "JICA is lying," expressing dissatisfaction with the explanation. Posts also question the connection between the initiative and the two new Japanese visa application centers opened in Nigeria in...

Kisarazu City in Chiba Prefecture and its mayor have issued an urgent statement vehemently denying some reports that the city is proceeding with a large-scale acceptance of immigrants from Nigeria. However, content suggesting immigration as a premise is spreading through Nigerian media and social media, creating a significant disparity between the two sides' views and causing a ripple effect. According to Kisarazu City's official accounts and the mayor's comments, there is absolutely no truth to reports on some social media platforms regarding the "acceptance of migrants/immigrants" or "visa relaxation." The city has announced its view that the "JICA Africa Hometown Certificate Grant" project, promoted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is for the purpose of "international exchange" and is distinct from accepting migrants or immigrants from specific countries. The mayor emphasized that media reports are inaccurate ...