In a statement released on Thursday, JICA explained that the decision followed weeks of speculation sparked by reports suggesting Japan would introduce a special visa category for Nigerians wishing to relocate to Kisarazu City, one of the municipalities involved in the scheme.
The controversy dates back to August 26, when Nigeria’s State House issued a statement claiming Japan had designated Kisarazu as a “hometown” for Nigerians and would open a visa pathway for young, skilled professionals. The Japanese government quickly denied the claim, stressing that the initiative had no link to immigration.
Clarifying its stance, JICA said the use of the term “hometown” and the idea of “designating” municipalities created misinterpretations within Japan and placed unnecessary pressure on the four participating cities.
The agency stated:
“Originally, under this initiative, it was envisioned that exchange programmes would be coordinated among
Japanese local governments, relevant African countries, and JICA. However, the very nature of the concept led to misunderstandings. JICA sincerely apologises to the municipalities involved for the situation.”
The JICA Africa Hometown initiative was officially launched in August during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9). Its original goal was to promote cultural and educational exchanges between four Japanese municipalities and four African countries.
While scrapping the project, JICA stressed that it has never promoted immigration and has no plans to do so in future, but reaffirmed its commitment to supporting international exchange and cooperation through other programmes.
The cancellation comes after Nigerian envoy Florence Akinyemi Adeseke and Kisarazu’s Mayor, Yoshikuni Watanabe, were photographed receiving a certificate naming the city as a “hometown” for Nigerians—a moment that fuelled widespread belief in the existence of a migration opportunity.
For now, the initiative is off the table, but JICA says it remains focused on building stronger cultural and developmental ties with Africa through alternative projects.
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