Two aides to President Bola Tinubu have visited Kisarazu, a Japanese city recently designated as the hometown for Nigerians.
Special Adviser Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, visited the city a day after the conclusion of the ninth Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD9).
During the TICAD9, the Japanese government unveiled Kisarazu as a settlement hub for Nigerians. It announced a plan to create a special visa category for highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians who want to move to the city to live and work.
Speaking after the visit, Onanuga highlighted the city’s symbolic connection with Nigeria, recalling its role during the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.
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“After the closing ceremony of TICAD9, we went on a voyage of discovery to Kisarazu, the town the Japanese have designated as Nigeria’s hometown,” he wrote in a post on his X handle Saturday.
“Nigeria’s Olympic team camped here in 2021. The video shows the city centre, where the Mayor Watanabe’s office is also located.”
Japan deepen ties with Nigeria
On Thursday, August 21, 2025, the Government of Japan designated Kisarazu as the designated city for Nigerians who wish to live and work in the country as part of Tokyo’s broader strategy to strengthen cultural ties, promote economic growth, and boost workforce productivity.
“Artisans and other blue-collar workers from Nigeria who are ready to upskill will also benefit from the special dispensation visa to work in Japan,” a statement issued on Friday by the State House Director of Information, Abiodun Oladunjoye, said.
“Japan International Cooperation Agency, in a ceremony, also named the cities of Nagai in Yamagata Prefecture the hometown of Tanzania, Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture the hometown of Ghana, and Imabari in Ehime Prefecture the hometown of Mozambique.”
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The four dedicated cities are intended to serve as a foundation for two-way exchanges for manpower development that will add value to the economic growth of Japan, Nigeria, and the other three African nations.