Japan denies plans for special visa program for Nigerians in Kisarazu

The Government of Japan has dismissed reports suggesting it plans to introduce a special visa category for Nigerians wishing to relocate to Kisarazu, a city recently highlighted for cultural and development exchanges with African countries.

Last week, the Director of Information at the State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, announced in a statement that Japan had designated Kisarazu as a “hometown” for Nigerians and would create a special visa scheme for highly skilled youths and artisans seeking to live and work in the city.

According to that statement, the supposed arrangement emerged during the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, where the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) launched the JICA Africa Hometown Initiative.

The initiative is designed to foster cultural and developmental exchanges between four African countries and four Japanese cities through volunteer activities, exchange events, and institutional partnerships.

However, in a counter-statement issued Tuesday, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly denied that the program involves any immigration or visa concessions.

“There are no plans to take measures to promote the acceptance of immigrants or issue special visas for residents of African countries, and the series of reports and announcements concerning such measures are not true,” the ministry clarified.

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Japanese officials explained that while the JICA program does indeed designate cities—including Kisarazu—as “home towns” for African nations, the framework is focused purely on cultural exchange and development cooperation, not on immigration or residency opportunities.

The ministry stressed that its government would continue efforts to ensure accurate reporting on the matter, noting that claims suggesting Nigerians would benefit from a new visa category were “contrary to the facts.”

The clarification underscores the sensitivity of immigration issues in Japan, where the government maintains strict policies on foreign labor and residency, even while expanding cooperation with African nations through initiatives like TICAD and JICA-led programs.