The Japanese government has clarified that its new ?JICA Africa Hometown? initiative does not include granting Nigerians or other Africans special visas or immigration privileges.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan said reports suggesting that Nigerians moving to Kisarazu city would enjoy a new visa category were ?contrary to the facts.?

The ministry explained that during the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, the Japan International Cooperation Agency launched the Africa Hometown programme to strengthen exchanges between African countries and Japanese local governments.

?Under this program, four cities in Japan are designated as ?home towns? for four African countries. Under this program, JICA plans to promote exchanges between the four Japanese cities and the four African countries through various activities, including the organisation of exchange events involving JICA overseas cooperation volunteers.

?On the other hand, there are no plans to take measures to promote the acceptance of immigrants or issue special visas for residents of African countries, and the series of reports and announcements concerning such measures are not true. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan will continue to make efforts to ensure that appropriate reporting and statements regarding this matter are carried out,? the statement read.

Last week, PUNCH Online reports that the Federal Government, in a statement signed by the Director of Information at the State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, announced that Japan had designated Kisarazu city as the ?hometown? for Nigerians and would create a special visa category for highly skilled and talented youths moving there to live and work.

?Artisans and other blue-collar workers from Nigeria who are ready to upskill will also benefit from the special dispensation visa to work in Japan,? the statement partly read.

PUNCH Online reports that Nigeria?s Charg? d?Affaires in Japan, Mrs. Florence Akinyemi Adeseke, alongside Kisarazu?s Mayor Yoshikuni Watanabe, received a certificate naming the city the ?hometown? of Nigerians. (PUNCH)

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