A significant diplomatic dispute has emerged following the Nigerian government's claim of a newly established visa category for skilled Nigerian citizens to relocate to Japan, a claim vehemently denied by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The controversy centers around the "JICA Africa Hometown" initiative, which the administration of President Bola Tinubu announced as a new migration route for Nigerians, only to be rebutted as "untrue" by Japan.

The Nigerian presidency had stated that, under a new partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Nigerian citizens could benefit from a special dispensation visa to work in Japan. Specifically, the statement, issued on August 21st, claimed that Kisarazu, a Japanese city, had been designated as a "hometown" for Nigerians. This arrangement, according to Nigeria, would offer a special visa category for highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians, as well as artisans and other blue-collar workers willing to upskill, to live and work in Kisarazu.

This announcement was made during the 9th Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD9), held in Yokohama, Japan, from August 20th to 22nd. The Nigerian government's pronouncements sparked considerable interest and discussion, particularly regarding the potential for increased migration and work opportunities for its citizens in Japan.

However, the Japanese government, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, swiftly and firmly denied these assertions. In a statement released on Monday, just four days after Nigeria's announcement, Japan stressed that the 'JICA Africa Hometown' programme was focused solely on fostering community-level exchanges and explicitly did not include any new visa category or immigration measures for African nationals.

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs categorically stated, "There are no plans to take measures to promote the acceptance of immigrants or issue special visas for residents of African countries, and the series of reports and announcements concerning such measures are not true." This clear refutation directly contradicted the claims made by the Nigerian presidency, emphasizing that Tokyo has no intention of increasing immigration or providing special visas to Nigerians or other African citizens under the initiative.

Instead, the Ministry clarified that the 'JICA Africa Hometown' initiative, unveiled at TICAD 9, aims to strengthen exchanges between African countries and Japanese local governments, building on previous project experiences. Under this program, JICA plans to promote exchanges through various activities, including the organization of events involving JICA overseas cooperation volunteers. Four Japanese cities have been designated as "home towns" for specific African countries: Imabari with Mozambique, Kisarazu with Nigeria, Sanjo with Ghana, and Nagai with Tanzania, with the objective of fostering cultural and community-level interactions, not facilitating immigration.