Event Details
Date: Monday, March 30, 2026
Time: 17:30-19:00 (Japan time) / 11:30-13:00 (Eastern Africa time)
Location: Members’ Lounge, Glass Rock B1F, Toranomon Hills (online delivery available)
Registration: Click here for in-person registration Click here for online registration
At TICAD 9, held in Yokohama in August 2025, agriculture, value chain upgrading, and private-sector-led growth were reaffirmed as pillars of Japan-Africa cooperation, and youth were clearly positioned as agents of change.
In Africa, agriculture remains an important foundation for food systems and local economies, but faces challenges such as stagnant productivity, weak value chains, the effects of climate change, and limited market access. Furthermore, youth unemployment exacerbates these challenges, and youth participation in the agricultural sector is not only an economic necessity, but is also positioned as an important investment in social stability and sustainable development.
These challenges are not unrelated to Japan. Japan has a declining and aging agricultural workforce and a shrinking rural population, and the agricultural sector has room to improve profitability and innovation. These challenges are shared by Africa, and it is important for both countries to reposition agriculture as a new growth industry by promoting innovation and youth participation in agriculture, while respecting the traditional society of rural communities.
Against this background, this dialogue event is planned as a forum for dialogue linking agricultural cooperation with Africa and Japanese issues, knowledge, and technology. Through discussions from the perspectives of youth, the private sector, and researchers, the event will broaden the contact points between Japan and Africa’s agricultural sector and explore the possibilities for future business collaboration. For example, at TICAD 9, JICA signed a memorandum of understanding with Mitsui & Co. in the Middle East and ETC Group for collaboration in Zambia and Zimbabwe.
As part of the TICAD follow-up, this event aims to redefine agriculture as a “growth industry and business opportunity” that creates new value through youth innovation and co-creation between Japan and Africa, rather than simply as an “aid target. Linking agriculture, entrepreneurship, technology, and market expansion, youth, the private sector, and development partners will discuss together to explore ways to link the principles of TICAD 9 to concrete collaboration and future action.
Outline of the event
Date: Monday, March 30, 2026, 17:30-19:00 (Japan time) / 11:30-13:00 (Eastern Africa time)
Co-organizers: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Format: Hybrid
In-person at: Glass Rock B1F Members’ Lounge, Toranomon Hills
Address: Glass Rock, 1-22-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001, Japan
Map: https://www.glass-rock.com/access.html
Online Delivery: Zoom
*If you wish to participate online, a Zoom link will be sent to you at least one day in advance.
In-person Location: Glass Rock B1F Members’ Lounge, Toranomon Hills ・Address: 22-1, Toranomon 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001 ・Map: https://www.glass-rock.com/access.html Online Delivery ：Zoom *Zoom link will be sent to those who wish to participate online by the day before. Participation fee: Free of charge
Languages: Japanese, English, French (simultaneous interpretation available)
Program
Part 1
17:30 – 17:35 Opening Remarks
17:35 – 17:45 Benediction
Part 2
17:45 – 18:05 From Policy Recommendations to Innovation on the Ground: Voices of Youth in The Gambia and Japan
18:05 – 18:55 Panel Discussion: “Agriculture as a Growth Industry
18:55 – 19:00 Closing remarks
Speakers (titles omitted)
Part 1
Miki Yamamoto (Gambia-Japan Youth Exchange Program participant/TICAD Youth Action Plan participant)
Dimilda DaSilva, CEO, Aleel Mak / Winner, Gambia Youth Agri-Innovation Challenge (online participation)
Part 2
Jiro Aikawa, JICA International Cooperation Specialist
Director, Tsubaki Susumu OS Trading & Investments Ptg. Ltd (OSTI) / Founder/Representative Partner, AAIC Holdings Pte.
Adesanya Oluwatoyin Fatimo Chief Scientist, National Cereal Research Institute, Badegi, Nigeria
Azi Kumba Dafe Tresor Women Warriors Representative
Moderator:
Chika Kondo, TICAD Coordination Specialist, UNDP Africa Bureau
African converse
An interactive seminar related to the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), launched by UNDP in 2018, and co-hosted by UNDP and JICA from 2020, with the aim of disseminating African development challenges and the efforts of Japan, co-hosting organizations, and others to address them to a wide audience in Japan and Africa, In 2025, in conjunction with TICAD 9 in Yokohama, sessions were held at Hiroshima University, the Osaka-Kansai Expo, TICAD 9, the United Nations University, and other venues under a variety of themes. We look forward to the participation of many people from Japan and abroad in 2026.
Contact Us
Ryohei Tanaka, Planning and TICAD Promotion Division, Africa Department, JICA
Tanaka.Ryohei@jica.go.jp
Chika Kondo, TICAD Coordination Specialist, UNDP Africa Bureau
chika.kondoh@undp.org
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