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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Presidency through the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed viral social media claims suggesting that Nigeria was poorly represented at the ongoing 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan.
The controversy started after a video circulated online showing an empty booth labelled “Nigeria,” which some critics interpreted as a sign of neglect and lack of seriousness.
Curated snapshot of real-time reactions from Nigerians on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), in response to the empty Nigerian booth at TICAD9 are many and varied. The responses reflect disappointment, sarcasm, frustration, and political critique. All handles are quoted as posted.
From Idris Ayodeji Bello (@Idrisayobello): “I hate to show negative things about Nigeria but it is sad that Nigeria is the only unmanned booth at TICAD9 in Japan… So ashamed I have now designated myself as Honorary Consul and taken over the booth to engage visitors.”
From Ola Brown (@NaijaFlyingDr):
“Had an interesting time manning the Nigeria booth today with Idris. Unfortunately, the booth was left unstaffed by the Nigerian public sector team, but we still had engaging conversations with academics, private business owners, and NGOs who asked great questions.”
@Kenykore: “This is the same conference the president is supposed to be attending, and they couldn’t even ensure at least one rep is there.”
@BYKX4: “The wrong set of people are sent to represent Nigeria at such fairs.”
@NamexTechnocrat: “Whoever cleared this tweet should be fired. The person that tweeted this should be fired. Everyone involved should be fired. This response is a disgrace and sends the wrong message to investors. My God!”
@ihuomah_: “This is public service BTW. This was supposed to be a vacation for some ogas. They will refuse to sign up young people that can represent for the trip cos oga needs to vacation and collect vacation allocation.”
@iamChinwambia: “Una no get shame! Simple thanks to the young man who stood and represented the nation and then assure us you have or will resume swiftly. Very simple, but una incompetence won’t let y’all. What a country!”
From Atiku Abubakar via his X handle:
Described the empty TICAD9 booth as a “show of shame.”
“Two years into this administration, we are probably waiting for an official inauguration…”
From Bolaji Abdullahi (ADC spokesperson): “The APC Government’s incompetence has followed the President to Japan… When we asked them to appoint ambassadors, they went ahead and appointed KWAM 1.”
According to Peter Obi in a statement, “The truth is unavoidable; the empty booths abroad are a physical reminder of the empty promises at home… the same tired excuse we have heard over and over again.”
In response, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, issued a statement on Wednesday titled “Nigeria’s participation at TICAD9: Focusing on strategic engagements, not trade expos,” clarifying the delegation’s objectives.
“The trending social media narrative about an empty booth labelled ‘Nigeria’ at the ongoing TICAD9 totally misrepresents our mission and activities,” Onanuga said. “The Nigerian delegation, led by President Bola Tinubu, is focused on bilateral and multilateral engagements to drive optimum performance in power, industry, and agriculture.”
Onanuga noted that President Tinubu is holding high-level meetings with major global corporations and international institutions, including Toyota Corporation, CFAO, UN-Habitat, UNDP, and the International Finance Corporation. These strategic engagements, he explained, are designed to foster meaningful partnerships and attract investment into Nigeria’s key sectors.
He added that the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, is leading talks on several Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded projects. These include the Lagos-Ogun Power Transmission System Improvement Project, a training partnership with the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), and the $190 million Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy Scale-up Project.
Adelabu is also expected to meet with Japanese Original Equipment Manufacturers such as Toshiba and Hitachi. Meanwhile, the Bank of Industry, led by Managing Director Supo Olusi, is in discussions with JICA and other multilateral partners regarding Nigeria’s annual global fund syndication efforts.
“The official delegation, working with Corporate Nigeria, is not in Yokohama to attend an open trade fair but to secure tangible outcomes from strategic engagements,” Onanuga emphasized.
Separately, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs addressed the controversy on social media, clarifying that the Nigerian booth had not yet been inaugurated at the time the viral video was recorded. In a post on X, the ministry explained:
“Contrary to a tweet made by a participant at TICAD, the Nigerian booth at #TICAD9 has not yet been opened. The booth will be officially inaugurated on Thursday, 21st August 2025, after which it will become fully operational and serve the delegates of TICAD.”
During his address at the summit’s plenary session on peace and stability, President Tinubu reiterated Africa’s longstanding demand for fair representation at the United Nations Security Council.
“Africa deserves two permanent seats with full privileges,” he stated, referencing the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.
He also praised Nigeria’s armed forces for recent gains in the fight against insurgency but cautioned that military success must be complemented by sustainable social and economic reforms.
“Our brave armed forces can win many battles, but we do justice to their heroism only when we are equally tough on the causes of terror,” Tinubu said.
He called for innovative peace-building models, citing recent mediation efforts in the Congo that link peace agreements with economic investments as a promising approach.
The President concluded by urging African nations to shift their focus from dependency to mutually beneficial partnerships.
“We must prioritize market-driven partnerships over hackneyed appeals for aid and handouts,” he stated, positioning TICAD9 as an opportunity for genuine transformation not just optics.