The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group hosted 13 students and faculty members from Japan’s Sophia University at its headquarters in Abidjan on 11 September as part of the university’s “Learn from Africa” overseas study programme.
The delegation, comprising 11 students from different academic disciplines and two faculty members, visited the Bank to gain first-hand insights into Africa’s development priorities and engage with officials working across key areas of economic and social development.
The programme is designed to give Japanese students direct exposure to African institutions and communities and forms part of the academic partnership between the AfDB Group and Sophia University.
The partnership dates back to a Memorandum of Understanding signed in March 2019 and renewed last year to strengthen academic collaboration and exchanges between Africa and Japan.
Tomoki Nakai, the Bank Group’s Executive Director for Japan, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Austria and Brazil, and Martha Phiri, Director of Human Capital, Youth and Skills Development, welcomed the delegation.
Representatives of the Jesuit University of Abidjan (CERAP) and AfDB staff also attended the programme.
Nakai said partnerships with universities such as Sophia University can support knowledge exchange between Africa and Japan and encourage young people to contribute to Africa’s sustainable development.
“The Bank’s partnership with institutions such as Sophia University help foster global knowledge exchange, inspire youth in both Africa and Japan to pursue their ambitions, and encourage them to contribute to Africa’s sustainable development while helping nurture the next generation of development leaders,” he said.
Phiri highlighted the importance of young people to Africa’s development agenda, noting that the Bank has made investment in youth a key institutional priority under its Ten-Year Strategy 2024–2033.
“Young people are at the centre of Africa’s transformation agenda,” Phiri said, pointing to the strategy’s focus on “Harnessing Demographic Transformation for Economic Development.”
She added that the Bank is seeking to expand cooperation with universities, governments, development partners and the private sector to support more sustainable development outcomes.
The students attended presentations from AfDB teams working on human capital, youth and skills development, resource mobilisation and partnerships, economic governance and financial sector development, as well as private-sector, infrastructure and industrial development.
The sessions included discussions with Bank officials and opportunities for students to ask questions about Africa’s economic prospects, development challenges and investment opportunities.
The delegation also toured the Bank’s headquarters and met with staff to gain a closer understanding of the institution’s work across the continent.
Expanding Africa-Japan cooperation
The visit forms part of broader cooperation between the AfDB Group and Japan, including initiatives focused on education, skills development, entrepreneurship and innovation.
The two sides jointly implement the Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) programme, which supports African students pursuing postgraduate studies at universities in Africa and Japan.
According to the Bank, 46 students have received JADS scholarships to date, including 32 who were awarded full scholarships to study at partner universities in Japan. Five of the scholarship recipients have pursued master’s degrees in Global Environmental Studies at Sophia University.
The AfDB also launched the Africa-Asia Platform in 2025 to promote knowledge exchange, innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable industrialisation between the two regions.
The initiatives form part of efforts to strengthen people-to-people and institutional links between Africa and Japan, while expanding opportunities for young people to participate in the continent’s development.
