(The development of human resources capable of inheriting Japanese know-how: Matadi Bridge—a friendship bridge linking Japan and the Congo)

The Matadi Bridge was built with Japanese yen loans and has continued to support the economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the only bridge crossing the Congo River for over thirty years since its completion (Figure 3-17). Although there was a time partway through that period when Japanese officials were forced to be repatriated due to political strife in that country, it was the staff members of the Organisation pour l'Equipement de Banana-Kinshasa (OEBK) who continued to protect the Matadi Bridge during this time. Relying on a maintenance manual that was left behind, these staff members managed to maintain the bridge through their own self-help efforts while receiving advice through channels of communications established with officials who had returned to Japan. The staff members of OEBK were spurred to action by a sense of responsibility that arose out of a belief that they had to maintain the bridge themselves after the Japanese officials with whom they had worked together and from whom they had received technologies and a proper mindset for maintenance left the country.

In June 2013, a ceremony to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the completion of the Matadi Bridge was held. At this time, the original Japanese officials who had worked on the bridge returned to the area at their own expense, cried tears of joy upon reuniting with the staff members of OEBK atop the bridge, and were struck with wonder at how well the bridge had been maintained to look as if it had just been completed.

Japanese infrastructure development enjoys a competitive edge in that proposals can be made on a packaged basis incorporating initiatives concerning non-structural elements in the form of human resources development and the provision of support for the establishment of systems. The utility of the infrastructure in question can be maximized and the long-term growth of the partner country can also be boosted by not just focusing on aspects involved in the development of a business environment for Japanese companies but also performing various examples of after-sales service, such as by operating established systems and maintaining the infrastructure in question after it is completed or by transferring technology to enable the partner country to independently maintain and operate the infrastructure in question. The story of the Matadi Bridge teaches us that the overseas development of Japanese infrastructure does not simply involve the infrastructure itself but is meaningful in a long-term sense in that it helps to cultivate human relationships, fosters pride in a job well done, and allows Japanese infrastructure to take root in local settings around the world.

Figure 3-1-7

Matadi Bridge and a map showing its location

Source) Image provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

## (3) Strategies and plans of the government and the MLIT

What will be needed to engage in the overseas development of infrastructure in the face of fierce international competition are the autonomous efforts of the private sector, as well as the strategic capturing of markets through private-public partnerships that also include the involvement of top sales executives.