Japan Scraps Africa ‘Hometown’ Project After Visa Confusion and Public Backlash

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has announced the withdrawal of its Africa Hometown initiative, following weeks of controversy and confusion over claims that the project would allow special immigration or visa benefits for Africans, including Nigerians.

In an official statement published on its website on Thursday, JICA said it had decided to cancel the program after consulting with all parties involved, stressing that the nature of the initiative particularly the use of the term “hometown” and the designation of Japanese cities as such led to “misunderstandings and confusion within Japan,” and placed an “excessive burden” on the municipalities involved.

Launched in August during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), the project aimed to foster cultural and educational exchanges between four Japanese municipalities and four African countries. Under the plan:

• Kisarazu was paired with Nigeria,

• Nagai with Tanzania,

• Sanjo with Ghana, and

• Imabari with Mozambique

The program was designed to promote local partnerships, mutual learning, and cross-cultural understanding, not migration or labor mobility.

Controversy erupted after Nigeria’s State House issued a statement on August 26 suggesting that Japan had created a “special visa category” for skilled Nigerians to live and work in Kisarazu. The announcement sparked widespread speculation in both countries that the initiative was tied to immigration opportunities.

The Japanese government quickly denied the claim, clarifying that the project was limited to cultural and developmental exchanges. JICA further emphasized that it “has never undertaken initiatives to promote immigration and has no plans to do so in the future.”

The misleading reports triggered protests and criticism inside Japan, with some residents of the designated municipalities expressing concern over possible mass immigration. According to Japanese media, the local governments involved faced overwhelming inquiries and pressure, prompting them to request that the project be discontinued.

“The very nature of this initiative namely, the term ‘hometown’ and the fact that JICA would designate Japanese local governments as such led to misunderstandings and confusion,” JICA said in its statement, adding that it “sincerely apologizes to the municipalities involved.”

While the Africa Hometown initiative has now been withdrawn, JICA reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening ties with African nations through other cultural, educational, and developmental programs.

The cancellation underscores the sensitivity of immigration debates in Japan, a country grappling with an aging population but also a public wary of large-scale migration.