The Presidency has refuted reports suggesting that Nigeria had an empty stand at the ongoing 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga clarified that President Bola Tinubu’s delegation is attending the summit for high-level engagements, not for trade exhibitions.
According to him, the Nigerian team is concentrating on securing strategic partnerships in key sectors, including power, industry, and agriculture.
The clarification followed viral photos on social media showing an empty space marked “Nigeria,” which drew criticism from the public. Onanuga, however, described the reports as misleading.
“Nigeria is not participating as a trade exhibitor,” he said, adding that while some of the concerns were driven by patriotism, they reflected a misunderstanding of the country’s actual objectives at TICAD9.
