Presidency dismisses ‘empty booth’ claims at TICAD9

The Presidency has dismissed claims that Nigeria had an “empty booth” at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Japan.

In a statement on Wednesday, Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said President Bola Tinubu’s delegation is in Yokohama for strategic talks, not to run a trade exhibition.

According to him, the team is focused on securing results in “key sectors such as power, industry, and agriculture.”

Photos of an empty space labelled “Nigeria” had gone viral on social media, sparking criticism. But Onanuga described the reports as misleading.

He explained: “Nigeria is not participating as a trade exhibitor.”

While acknowledging that the concerns may come from patriotism, he added that they “reveal ignorance about Nigeria’s actual objectives at TICAD9.”

Onanuga stressed that the real goal of Nigeria’s presence at the triennial conference is to build bilateral and multilateral partnerships that can drive economic growth and development.

He also disclosed that the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) will on Thursday host a special investment forum at the event.