Namibia Calls for Africa-Japan Partnerships to Boost Growth

By Staff Reporter

Namibian Prime Minister, Dr. Tjitunga Elijah Ngurare, on Wednesday addressed the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan, calling for stronger Africa-Japan partnerships to drive industrialisation, youth empowerment, and economic diversification.

Representing President Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia’s first female Head of State elected in 2024, Dr. Ngurare said Africa must envision a future where peace, innovation and prosperity replace hunger, unemployment, and conflict. He emphasised that Africa’s youthful population, supported through joint African-Japanese technology and skills transfer, can transform the continent into a hub of sustainable development and industrialisation.

The Prime Minister underscored the need for inclusive growth that prioritises small and medium enterprises, particularly those owned by women and youth, while integrating the informal sector into mainstream economies. “Leaving this important sector behind will only give us half-cooked meals,” he said, urging African leaders to ensure that development policies have “a human face” that touches households directly.

Highlighting the importance of connectivity, Dr. Ngurare called for investments in Africa’s blue economy and infrastructure development, including ports, roads, rail, and digital networks, to ease trade and movement across the continent under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He stressed that such efforts must be coupled with technology transfer and innovation, as outlined in global trade agreements, to shift Africa from resource-dependency to diversified economies.

In conclusion, Dr. Ngurare appealed for deeper people-to-people ties between Africa and Japan, rooted in mutual learning, skills exchange, and innovation. “Once the youth of Africa develop genuine faith in their future, half the battle is won,” he said, expressing hope for a united Africa that harnesses collaboration and innovation to build a brighter future for all.

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