GRIPS Development Forum WORKSHOPHow can Japan effectively support economic growth in Africa?
- The African Perspective Japan’s support to Africa’s economic growth in the age of global climatic change- Challenges and opportunities –Prof. Dr. SANGA-NGOIE Kazadi
Dean, International Cooperation and Research
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University874-8577 1-1 Jumonjibaru, Beppu-City, Oita
Tel/Fax: 0977-78-1043, e-mail: sangank@apu.ac.jp
In recent years, rapidly growing globalization has enhanced fierce competition not only for power and wealth,but also for resources, food and space, between countries and companies alike, especially now under the threat ofglobal eco-climatic changes. Under these circumstances, redefining one’s geopolitics becomes a matter of survival
for every country within this globalized world. Japan can find a way out of this by developing and deepening new
types of relationships, especially with African countries, based on the acknowledgment of mutual merits for bothparties. Japan has what Africa needs the most: the green and environment-friendly technology and knowhow
needed to gear its own development. Africa has what Japan lacks the most: untapped natural resources and a bigmarket of more than 900 millions people, of which more than half is in the twenties. Africa and Japan share apristine past, not spoiled by historically sad memories. Chances for creating such relationship between Africa andJapan have been wasted so far. We focus on this new type of Japan-Africa partnership, based on mutuallysustainable partnership, and discuss how this can lead to everlasting wealth and stability for both of them.

1. Introductionzones” for their trades through new types of diplomaticth

By the end of the 20 Century, humankind had enteredand trade cooperation. The cases of the USA economica new era of tremendously fast socio-economic changes

zone encompassing almost all the American continent,on the global scale, following the end of the Cold War.

with Canada and Mexico as spearheads, the fast

This globalization brings forth both the large benefits ofextension of EU membership to many countries formerly

the new global order and the multitude of problems

under the Soviet Union control, the new aggressive

appending to it, as well. Harsh competition, not only

advances of China and India in Africa, etc, are just someamong companies or developed countries for leadershipexamples of this global trend for securing resources,and wealth, but also for dwindling resources and space, isenergy, water and even the space needed to sustain thebecoming a daily commonsense.

economic growth.

Countries all over the world, big or small, are now

2. The global eco-climatic change issues

involved in fierce “geopolitical realignments” in order toA corollary to all this tremendous development is theadapt, to remain competitive and or to survive in the newhigh speed deterioration of climate and ecosystems on theglobal order. Competition for resources and secured

global scale.

markets are pushing leading countries to creating “safety

Voracious factories and all our modern lifestyle arepowered by massive use of fossil fuels as main source of

where the Japanese technologies could be put at use.

energy (95%), leading to those global issues as the global

4. Africa as a partner?

warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, acid rains, andFor many people, even for some dear sons of Africa

all their corollaries. Forests and land development forthemselves, Africa is a wasted land, prone to misery.

forest products, for large scale agriculture or ranching, orLong lasting economic failures and political instability

even recently, for biofuels production, are ripping away

especially during the post-colonial era up to the end of theevery single day vast portions of tropical rainforests, that

Cold War, are still living proofs for this. Moreover, within

are known to play a very important role in the global

the present circumstances, Africa will be, more than any

eco-climate as sinks of CO2, sources of O2 and plentiful

other place, negatively affected by the predicted changes

rainfalls. Destroyed forests mean destroyed habitats forin the climate for the years to come, if no steps are taken.

unnumbered living species that go extinct together with

Therefore

theurgentneedforfinding

the forests, even before we had learned about their very

environment-friendly and sustainable solutions to its

existence or importance as food or medicinal resources.

development issues as a whole, even before getting into

Changes in the climate and the ecosystems often

the full-geared stage of intense economic development.

negatively impact on land productivity due to droughts,

Africa needs environment-friendly technologies for its

desertification and soil deterioration, leading to very

energy production, energy use for goods productions andserious concerns about hunger and famine for the poortransformation. Africa needs to directly jump onto theand food availability for the rich.

hyper-highway of global information and communication

Considerable efforts have been made to mobilize atechnologies, and secure highly effective transportation

global understanding on the issues, both still, very littlesystems to move goods and people across its vast

has been done toward their sustainable solution so far.

territories. Africa needs the appropriate technology to

3. Japan’s role in the global village

exploit and transform its untapped goods and resources,

One thing is certain: the climate and ecosystem change

through mutually profitable partnerships.

issues, as well all the new global order problems, areIn fact, Africa does have within its lands what is

global scale issues and inclusive. They have to be solved

needed for this type of partnerships: untapped naturalfrom a global approach, with the full commitment toresources and renewable energy resources, vast lands formobilize all the individual efforts in each country.

agriculture or other environment-friendly development

Sustainable development, involving the use of green

projects, a young and active population ready to learn andand environment-friendly technologies, and adoption ofparticipate in the country-building activities throughenvironment-friendly life-style, is the key to all the issues.

human capacity building, and stable, accountable andThe future of the mankind, and not that of the Earth, is indemocratically elected governments, eager for bringing

the balance!

their assets to the international bargaining table, for theJapan, as a leading economy, with well-known andworld-wide tested environment-friendly technologies inbetter living of their people…
5. Concluding remarks

the fields of energy production and consumption,

The role of Japan in helping Africa realize this smoothtransportation and communication, etc… has now todevelopment is enormous, and very beneficial to both, if

come out onto the stage, and help developing countries

considered from the new perspective of mutuallyleap frog straight into theis new technological era,

profitable partnership. By opening these new avenues towithout the sad and erroneous steps of adopting

bilateral cooperation, Japan will also secure for itself atransitional technologies for their development.

stable access to resources and new markets for the many

For this, Africa seems to be the most indicated place

decades to come!