JAPAN and the WORLD Magazine OCTOBER ISSUE 2016 #Issue 17 | Page 28

INSIDE TICAD VI
TICAD VI
INTERVIEW
T I CA D V I：インサイダー展 望
TICAD VI : AN INSIDER’S VIEW
MR. TOMOHIKO TANIGUCHI
SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE CABINET OF PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE
TEXT: MARC BÉLIVEAU
INTRODUCTION
Exclusive interview with Mr. Tomohiko
Taniguchi, Special Advisor to the Cabinet
of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who
attended the TICAD VI Summit in Nairobi
from August 25-27, 2016. Having followed
and been involved in the TICAD process for
the last eight years, Mr. Taniguchi is said to
be more optimistic than ever before.
内閣官房参与の谷口智彦氏が本誌の単独インタ
ビューに応じ、
去る8月25日～27日にケニアのナイ
ロビで開催された第6回アフリカ開発会議
（TICAD
VI ）
について語った。
過去8年間、
TICADプロセス
に関与してきた谷口氏は、
日本とアフリカの将来
について、
「かつてないほど楽観的」
だという。
TICAD VI has been described as a
very successful event because of
the presence of a large number of
top business leaders from Africa
and Japan. More than 80 Japanese
companies held exhibits to showcase
their products and expertise.
It was almost too good to be true because a lot
of us in the Japanese government have long
urged the Japanese corporate sector to pay
more serious attention to the growth potential
of Africa, but not many people showed
interest. This was in 2013. Three years on,
the number of Japanese high-ranking private
sector officials who showed interest surged. So
finally, I detected that the Japanese business
sector has caught up with the reality of Africa.
Many would hope that these products, goods
and services that Japanese companies can
offer to Africa will be better if they bear the
values of African consumers.
I detected that the Japanese
business sector has caught
up with the reality of Africa.
Japan announced investment of $30
billion in private and public-sector
funds in Africa over the next three
28 // OCTOBER 2016
Credits: Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA.
years. How feasible will it be for the
private sector to invest or spend up to
$ 20 billion of this amount in such a
short period?
I don’t have a crystal ball myself, but I can tell
you the following; it is not a round ballpark
figure. In order for the Japanese government
to make an announcement of that kind,
one should assume that there were many
prior consultations between the Japanese
government and the Japanese corporate
sector. Unless they became pretty sure that
this number would be achievable, the Japanese
government would not have said anything
like that. So, one should hope. Although, you
cannot be entirely certain about what could
happen in the future, but the number you
mention is an achievable number.
Until now, only a few African
countries have benefited from the
presence of Japanese companies.
How would the deployment of new
investments from the private sector in
Japan be done in an equitable way?
It remains a challenge for the Japanese
corporate sector. As you rightly pointed
out, only a few countries have had quality
positioning in accommodating Japanese
investment. South Africa is one and Morocco
may be another. What matters is what they
could do in sub-saharan African nations.
I am more hopeful than I was before,
because not only big companies but also
small individual entrepreneurs are paying
attention, I should say for the first time,
to those relatively undeveloped nations in
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