First-ever youth version of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, "Youth TICAD 2025," launched

Young people aim for a future co-created by Africa and Japan

The Youth TICAD 2025 Executive Committee (Co-chairs: Yuki Inuba and David Pondeu) held a press conference at the Japan National Press Club on Friday, July 18, 2025, to announce the completion of "Youth Agenda 2055: The Future We Want."
"Youth Agenda 2055: The Future We Want" is an international goal that outlines the future that young people in Japan and Africa want to see 30 years from now. It was formulated as part of the "TICAD 9 Youth Policy Recommendations Project," which was launched in February 2024 and is led by the general incorporated associations Africa Asia Youth Nest and Africa Diaspora Network Japan.
These goals are based on TICAD's three pillars - economy, society, and peace and stability - and also reflect the perspectives of young people, such as "people-to-people connections" and "sustainability." They also address issues facing young people today, such as mental health, employment, education, the environment, and intercultural coexistence. The goal is to serve as a guide for young people not only in Africa, but in Japan and around the world, to work together to build a better future. The importance of these efforts is heightened at TICAD 9, where the themes of "co-creation" and "youth" are central.

"Youth TICAD 2025"is a youth-led summit to be held in conjunction with the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), which will be held in Yokohama in August 2025.
One hundred young people from across Africa and Japan will gather to declare their actions, positioning themselves not simply as advocates but as actors pushing forward change towards the "ideal future of 2055." This will be the first youth-led summit in the more than 30-year history of TICAD.
Over three days, from August 18th to 20th, participants will hold workshops and conduct fieldwork by visiting companies and civic groups in the Yokohama area, and will then hold an informal pitch contest based on the action declarations they have co-created.

Website: https://youthticad2025.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youthticad2025/
X: https://x.com/YouthTICAD2025

■ Impressions from attending the press conference
I was deeply impressed by their belief in the potential of young people and their willingness to do everything in their power to support them.
I was particularly attracted to the program's goal of strengthening international ties, focusing on people with drive and ideas. This was because I expected that Japan's technological capabilities and the innovative approaches of young people in Africa could complement each other.
This kind of flexible and positive thinking will move Japanese society in a better direction, and this initiative, which focuses on the humanity of the Japanese people, is not something that "could have been done in any country," but rather something that "could have been done in Japan," and I believe it will lead to a reasonable and reliable solution. I was also moved by this ambition, and it gave me a strong desire to work hard for cooperation and growth across borders.
Chiharu Yamada, second-year student at the University of Information, Management and Innovation

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 18, 2025 by Chiharu Yamada, second-year student at the University of Information, Management and Innovation