Young People Vow to Take Action for Future of Africa, Japan and Become Leaders at TICAD Youth Conference in Yokohama

By Takeshi Kuroiwa / Japan News Staff Writer

17:32 JST, August 19, 2025

YOKOHAMA — The ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) begins Wednesday in Yokohama, and leaders of African countries as well as representatives from the business sector and civil society are expected to attend.

The purpose of the three-day event is to come up with innovative solutions to the challenges that Africa faces with the help of Japanese technology and expertise.

The three pillars of the conference are economy, peace and stability, and society. Under the pillar of society, TICAD 9 will focus on empowering young people and women.

Prior to the start of the conference, young people from African countries and Japan began their version of the conference, Youth TICAD 2025, on Monday to discuss the future of the continent and Japan.

The policy proposed by Youth TICAD 2025, “The Youth Agenda 2055: The Future We Want,” aims to “institutionalize youth within TICAD.”

The proposal includes 10 actions, such as “Universal, high-quality, and inclusive education through innovation, support and collaboration” and “Promote social cohesion between Africans, Japanese and diaspora in their communities.”

In the proposal, the group states: “This is more than a policy document. It is a bold declaration of purpose, innovation, and shared responsibility from a generation determined not only to be heard but to lead.”

On Monday, about 100 young people from 27 countries participated in the event’s opening ceremony held near the main venue of TICAD 9.

“You are here because you believe in the vision,” David Kpondehou, co-chair of the event, said in his opening remarks. “When you believe in the vision, it means you have to be the one to take action.”

Kpondehou, who is originally from Benin but has been living in Japan since 2017, is the president of the African Diaspora Network in Japan, a group comprising 6,000 African diasporas from more than 40 countries.

Kpondehou told The Japan News that it is necessary to “change the narratives.”

He said many Japanese people still believe there are lions walking down the street in Africa and that there are no business opportunities. However, he said there are many talented young people in Africa, including those in the IT industry.

“Let’s explore their potential,” Kpondehou said.

Many young Japanese people also participated in the opening ceremony.

Kotone Sakamoto, a junior at a university, is one such participant.

Sakamoto said she was “tired of being a good kid” and set off on a trip around the world last year. During her travels, she visited 15 countries in Africa.

Sakamoto was inspired by the people of Africa who enjoy living in the present.

“In Japan, people worry about old age from when they’re young, and I started to think that was silly,” she said.

Now, she is hoping to become “a bridge connecting Africa and Japan.”

The representatives of Youth TICAD 2025 plan to hand the Youth Agenda 2055 to a senior official of Japan’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

“You don’t wait for someone to help you,” Kpondehou said in his remarks. “You take actions, and you as young people, support each other to achieve that vision.”