The ministry of foreign affairs says Nigeria will formally
inaugurate its booth at the ongoing 9th Tokyo International Conference on
African Development (TICAD9) in Japan on Thursday—a day before the three-day
summit draws to a close.
The conference opened on Wednesday and is scheduled to end
on Friday.
As the summit got underway, booths representing various
countries welcomed investors and visitors.
However, Nigeria’s stand stood conspicuously empty on the
opening day of the conference, leaving some delegates to take up the task of
manning it.
The situation quickly drew criticism from Nigerians online,
who lamented the country’s poor representation at such a high-profile
gathering.
But the ministry of foreign affairs dismissed the concerns.
“Contrary to a tweet made by a participant at TICAD, the
Nigerian Booth at #TICAD9 has not yet been opened,” the ministry said in a
statement.
“The booth will be officially inaugurated on Thursday, 21st
August 2025, after which it will become fully operational and serve the
delegates of TICAD.”
CAN BOOTHS BE INAUGURATED?
It is not an unusual practice to have some form of opening
or unveiling ceremony around the booth, especially at trade shows and
conferences.
This can include ribbon-cutting, speeches, demos, or special
giveaways.
However, these activities are mostly informal and happen at
the start of the conferences, as exhibitors ideally want to be present and
active from the start to maximise visibility, networking, and influence.
Most reactions to the foreign affairs ministry’s explanation
criticised it as an inadequate excuse.
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