Two senior aides to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga and Temitope Ajayi, on Friday visited Kisarazu, the Japanese city recently declared as the official hometown for Nigerians living and working in Japan.
Their visit came a day after the conclusion of the ninth Tokyo International Conference for African Development, TICAD9, where the Japanese government made the announcement as part of a new cultural and economic partnership with Nigeria.
Onanuga, who shared details of the visit on his X handle on Saturday, said the city already shares a connection with Nigeria.
“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 said. “Nigeria’s Olympic team camped here in 2021. The video shows the city centre, where the Mayor Watanabe’s office is also located.”
The State House, in a statement by its Director of Information, Abiodun Oladunjoye, said the Japanese government is introducing a special visa program to support the initiative. The program is designed to attract highly skilled, innovative, and talented young Nigerians to Kisarazu.
Artisans and blue-collar workers from Nigeria who are willing to upgrade their skills will also benefit from the new visa arrangement to live and work in Japan.
Officials said the move is aimed at boosting cultural diplomacy, strengthening economic ties, and supporting Japan’s growing workforce needs while opening more opportunities for Nigerians seeking international experience.
