The Presidency has explained why Nigeria’s booth was empty on the opening day of the ongoing 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) in Yokohama, Japan.
The controversy began after a viral post by Idris Bello, co-founder of The Wennovation Hub, who expressed disappointment at finding Nigeria’s booth unmanned.
Bello, who said he was “ashamed” by the situation, noted that he had to personally step in to engage visitors and potential investors. The incident led to widespread criticism, with many Nigerians questioning the government’s preparedness for the global investment forum.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga dismissed the criticism as “misrepresentation,” stressing that Nigeria’s participation at TICAD 9 was focused on high-level engagements rather than trade exhibitions.
“The trending social media narrative about an empty booth labelled ‘NIGERIA’ totally misrepresented our country’s mission and activities at the conference,” Onanuga stated.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu is leading a delegation prioritising bilateral and multilateral negotiations with international partners in key sectors, including power, industry, and agriculture. The statement highlighted meetings scheduled with Toyota Corporation, CFAO, UN-Habitat, UNDP, and the International Finance Corporation, among others.
Onanuga also disclosed that the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, is negotiating major JICA-funded projects, including the Lagos-Ogun Power Transmission System Improvement and renewable energy scale-up initiatives. The Bank of Industry is likewise engaged in financing talks with global institutions.
He emphasised that Nigeria’s official schedule does not include participation in the open trade exhibition, which has been mistaken for the country’s main platform at the event.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier clarified that the booth was not abandoned but simply “not yet opened” and was scheduled for inauguration on Thursday, the second day of the conference.