Japan to double ODA for Africa

from The Daily Yomiuri

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The government will double its official development assistance to African countries over the next five years, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda likely will announce the government's plan at the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) to be held in Yokohama from May 28 to 30.

By increasing its development aid, the government is aiming to support the agricultural and economic development of African countries, especially sub-Saharan nations in which serious conflict abounds and citizens suffer from extreme poverty.

In 2005, Japan promised the African countries it would double its ODA in three years. A senior Foreign Ministry official said the amount is increasing steadily and he is confident the goal will be reached this year.

However, many of the development aid projects take the form of debt relief. African countries are now asking Japan to increase its substantial aid programs.

As the chair of TICAD IV and July's Group of Eight summit, the government deemed it necessary to further extend its financial support for African nations.

African countries are concerned over the recent surge in prices for food around the world.

The government is thus focusing on projects related to agriculture, such as expanding the technological development of food production, as well as infrastructure development to improve agricultural productivity.