Japan Clarifies No Special Visa Plans for Nigerians Under ‘Hometown’ Initiative

The Japanese government has denied reports suggesting that Nigerians, or other African nationals, would receive special visas as part of its “JICA Africa Hometown” initiative.

In a statement issued on Monday, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that claims regarding a new visa category for Nigerians moving to Kisarazu city were incorrect.

The ministry explained that during the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) launched the Africa Hometown program, aimed at enhancing exchanges between African nations and Japanese local governments.

“Under this initiative, four cities in Japan have been designated as ‘home towns’ for four African countries. JICA plans to foster interactions between these cities and African nations through various activities, including organizing exchange events with JICA’s overseas cooperation volunteers,” the statement read.

However, Japan emphasized that there are no plans to introduce measures that would promote immigration or issue special visas for African nationals. The Ministry also stated that reports claiming such measures were being considered were false.

“Contrary to recent reports, no special visa programs for African nationals, including Nigerians, are in the works. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to work towards ensuring that accurate information is disseminated on this matter,” the statement continued.

This clarification comes after PUNCH Online reported last week that Nigeria’s government had announced Japan’s designation of Kisarazu city as the “hometown” for Nigerians. The report suggested that the city would also create a special visa category for skilled Nigerian youth and blue-collar workers.

In the initial statement, Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Japan, Mrs. Florence Akinyemi Adeseke, and Kisarazu’s Mayor, Yoshikuni Watanabe, were said to have received a certificate marking the city as Nigeria’s designated “hometown.”