UNIDO has participated in the first Japan-Africa Public-Private Economic Forum, organized by the Governments of Japan and South Africa from 3-4 May 2018 in Johannesburg. The Forum aims to accelerate the promotion of private-sector-led economic growth by encouraging networking among Japanese and African companies.
UNIDO’s Deputy to the Director General, Hiroshi Kuniyoshi, made a presentation at a plenary session on ”New frontiers for business in Africa and challenges for transforming economies in Africa” on 3 May. The DDG Kuniyoshi introduced UNIDO’s mandate and activities in Africa, and presented how UNIDO could help African countries industrialize by introducing leapfrogging technology.
During the forum, ITPO Tokyo and the Department of Energy hosted two side events. At the ITPO Tokyo’s event on 3 May, Yuko Yasunaga, Head of ITPO Tokyo, presented the office’s activities aimed at promoting foreign direct investment and technology transfer from Japan to Africa, highlighting the advisory programme, which provides business matching opportunities, as well as a successful case of technology transfer between Japanese and African businesses in the Low Carbon Climate Resilient Industrial Development project. Three African advisers – Mr. Lies Kerrar, Advisor in Algeria, Mr. Nandio Durao, Advisor in Mozambique, and Mr. Tadesse Segni, Regional Advisor in Ethiopia covering Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi also got together on this occasion, and presented their support activities to the audience.
At the side event on 4 May, the UNIDO Department of Energy hosted a panel session on “African Innovation and Industrial Development”, focusing on the energy-ICT-smart development nexus. Opened by UNIDO’s Deputy to the Director General, Hiroshi Kuniyoshi, panelists, including Abdelkader Himdi, Head of Operations and Maintenance of the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN) and Victor Mageto, Deputy Director – Industries of the Kenyan Ministry of Industry and Enterprise Development (MOED), presented the opportunities and challenges of seeking innovation and industrial development in each country. Ms. Kasai, CEO of E-Gates Ltd. and Steve Mutabazi, Chief Investment Strategist, ICT Sector, Rwanda Development Board, introduced the strategic concept of Kigali Innovation City.
On the second day of the forum, thematic sessions were held in parallel to the side event and Mr. Yasunaga, Head of ITPO Tokyo took the floor at Thematic session IV: Showcase of Japanese businesses and partnerships with African and third countries. He introduced success stories of partnership between African and Japanese companies supported by ITPO Tokyo, and announced that ITPO Tokyo is planning to assign a new African adviser in one of the west African countries. He also participated in Thematic Session I: New business frontiers with new technologies as a moderator, and concluded that new policies and new frameworks (regulatory/ legal/ institutional) are needed in response to the emerging technologies with new business models, in order to fully incentivize the business sector to capture the African dynamism.
Outline
Event: Japan-Africa Public-Private Economic Forum
Date: May 3-4, 2018
Venue: Sandton Convention Center, Johannesburg, South Africa
Presentation Materials
Plenary Session 3 – Presentation by DDG
Side Event (3 May) – UNIDO ITPO Tokyo’s Activities
Side Event (3 May) – Advisory Programme in Algeria
Side Event (3 May) – Advisory Programme in Mozambique
Side Event (3 May) – Advisory Programme in Ethiopia + Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi
Side Event (3 May) – Low Carbon Climate Resilient Industrial Development project
