Event Details
Date: Thursday, July 23
Time: 5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m. (Japan Time) / 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (Eastern African Time)
Location: Reception Hall, 2nd Floor, United Nations University (Available via Zoom)
Registration: Click here to register for in-person attendance. Click here to register for online attendance.
As the third event in the 2026 “AFRI CONVERSE” series, which promotes dialogue among diverse stakeholders in Africa and Japan, we will host a hybrid event on the theme of “financial inclusion.”
In Africa, the rapid development of mobile money and fintech is enabling many people to access financial services for the first time. At the same time, access to formal financial services—such as loans, insurance, and savings—remains limited, leaving many people, including young people, women, farmers, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), excluded from economic opportunities.
At this event, we will go a step beyond the “adoption of digital payments” to discuss how digital finance can lead to entrepreneurship, investment, job creation, and improved quality of life. While exploring opportunities for collaboration between Africa and Japan, we will consider concrete measures for realizing a more inclusive and sustainable digital economy.
Event Overview
・Date and Time: Thursday, July 23, 2026, 5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m. (Japan Time) / 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (Eastern African Time)
・Co-organizers: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
・Event Format: Hybrid
In-person venue: United Nations University (UNU), 2nd Floor, Reception Hall (Shibuya Ward, Tokyo)
・Online streaming: Zoom
*We will send the Zoom link to those who wish to participate online by the day before the event.
・Participation fee: Free
・Languages: Japanese, English, French (simultaneous interpretation available)
・Registration: Click here to register for in-person attendance. Click here to register for online attendance.
・Recommended for people like this
Anyone interested in business or startups in Africa
Stakeholders in the fintech and digital finance sectors
Individuals from the investment, financial, trading, and technology sectors
Students and Researchers
People interested in international cooperation and development issues
Those interested in exploring new opportunities for collaboration between Africa and Japan
Program (Tentative)
5:30 p.m. – 5:33 p.m. Opening Remarks
5:33 p.m. – 5:36 p.m. Congratulatory Remarks
5:36 p.m. – 5:50 p.m. Keynote Address: “Financial Inclusion as a Shared Priority”
6:05 p.m. – 6:55 p.m. Panel Discussion: “From Access to Empowerment: Rebuilding Financial Inclusion Through Fintech”
6:55 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Closing Ceremony
Speakers (titles omitted)
Raymond Gilpin, Chief Economist and Director of the Strategy, Analysis, and Research Division, UNDP Africa Bureau
Suzuka Sugawara, JICA International Cooperation Specialist in the Field of Poverty Reduction
Takeshi Inoue, Associate Professor, Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Kobe University
Reiji Kobayashi, President and CEO, HAKKI AFRICA Co., Ltd.
Deborah Kujo, CEO of Eduvora Connect / Head of Overseas Business Development at Taiyo Yuka Co., Ltd.
Africonverse
An interactive seminar series related to the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), launched by the UNDP in 2018. Since 2020, it has been co-hosted by the UNDP and JICA and is held quarterly with the aim of sharing information on challenges in African development and the initiatives undertaken by Japan and the co-hosting organizations to address them with a broad audience in Japan and Africa.
In 2025, in conjunction with TICAD 9 held in Yokohama, we held sessions on a variety of themes at venues including Hiroshima University, the Osaka-Kansai EXPO, TICAD 9, and the United Nations University. In 2026, we will continue to foster dialogue and share insights through this seminar series. For the third session of this fiscal year, scheduled to take place in Tokyo, we plan to hold discussions on inclusive economic participation from the perspective of financial inclusion.
Contact Us
・Ryohei Tanaka, Planning and TICAD Promotion Division, JICA Africa Department
・Chika Kondo, TICAD Liaison Officer, UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa
© Source JICA