Uganda’s Vice President, Maj (Rtd) Jessica Alupo, represented President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at the official opening of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-9).
The conference took place on Wednesday at the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Centre in Japan.
This year’s TICAD, which began on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, brought together African heads of state and senior Japanese policymakers.
The summit is being held under the theme, “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa.”
Discussions at TICAD-9 are centered on how Japan’s advanced technologies and expertise can be harnessed to solve Africa’s pressing development challenges.
Vice President Alupo expressed optimism that Uganda would reap direct benefits from the gathering.
“This theme reflects Uganda’s priorities for technological advancement and innovation in tackling development challenges,” she said.
She further emphasized Uganda’s readiness to deepen collaboration with Japan and other global partners.
“Uganda will work closely with Japan and other partners to maximize these opportunities,” Alupo noted.
On the sidelines of the conference, the Vice President held high-level bilateral engagements with Japanese companies.
She also met with representatives of the Japanese Business Federation, widely known as Keidanren.
In addition, she interacted with the leadership of the Japan Foundation.
Her discussions with Japanese partners focused on building concrete investment opportunities in Uganda.
She highlighted government efforts to attract investors in sectors such as technology, industrialization, and infrastructure.
Alupo underscored that these engagements are aimed at accelerating Uganda’s ongoing drive toward technological transfer.
She also pointed to Uganda’s commitment to human capital development and digital transformation.
All these, she explained, are in line with the long-term aspirations of Uganda’s Vision 2040.
Uganda’s active participation in TICAD-9 signals the country’s strong commitment to strengthening ties with Japan.
Japan continues to stand out as a strategic development partner for Africa, and Uganda seeks to consolidate this relationship through innovation-driven cooperation.
