JICA Cancels Japan-Africa Hometown Initiative

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has canceled its JICA Africa Hometown initiative after widespread misinformation and a wave of protests. Launched at TICAD 9 in August, the plan would have paired four Japanese municipalities—Kisarazu (Nigeria), Nagai (Tanzania), Sanjo (Ghana) and Imabari (Mozambique)—with African partners to promote cultural exchange, youth programs and cooperation rather than permanent migration. Confusion escalated after an erroneous statement from Nigeria’s government and misleading translations and social media posts falsely suggested a special visa or covert immigration plan, and this occurred despite denials from Japanese authorities; the backlash produced thousands of calls and emails, public demonstrations and incidents of vandalism that overwhelmed local officials. JICA said the term hometown and the idea of designating municipalities caused misunderstandings and an excessive burden on the cities, and it apologized as it withdrew the program. Critics warned the reversal could embolden xenophobic voices and hinder future Japan–Africa exchange efforts, even as officials said they will pursue international cooperation by other means.