By Peter Omopo / 20th August 2025
The Nigerian delegation at the ongoing Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) has come under scrutiny after the country’s exhibition booth was found unmanned.
A participant at the summit, Idris Bello, raised the alarm on Wednesday by posting a video and photographs of the empty booth on X (formerly Twitter).
“I hate to show negative things about Nigeria, but it is sad that Nigeria is the only unmanned booth at TICAD9 in Japan,” Bello wrote. “Upon all the folks who probably got estacode for coming to Japan, only God knows how many Japanese people have asked me about the unmanned booth seeing my dressing. So ashamed I have now designated myself as Honorary Consul and taken over the booth to engage visitors.”
The post quickly went viral, sparking widespread criticism of Nigeria’s representation at the summit.
President Bola Tinubu had arrived in Tokyo on Monday ahead of the high-level conference, which runs from August 20 to 22. He is expected to hold bilateral meetings and engage with Japanese business leaders exploring investments in Nigeria.
The incident has fueled debate online about Nigeria’s preparedness and diplomatic image at international gatherings.
