NIGERIANS across the globe have expressed outrage after videos emerged showing the country’s booth at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Japan allegedly abandoned and unmanned, despite the presence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and a large Nigerian delegation at the global summit.
News Point Nigeria reports that the incident, which quickly went viral on Wednesday, sparked heated criticism over what many described as another “international embarrassment” for Africa’s most populous nation.
A participant at the event, Idris Ayodeji Bello, first raised alarm in a post on X (formerly Twitter), where he shared photos and videos of Nigeria’s exhibition stand standing empty while other African countries actively showcased trade, investment, and cultural opportunities to international visitors.
“I hate to show negative things about Nigeria, but it is sad that Nigeria is the only unmanned booth at TICAD9 in Japan. Upon all the folks who probably got estacode for coming to Japan,” Bello wrote.
“So ashamed I have now designated myself as Honorary Consul and taken over the booth to engage visitors. It’s been a few hours now fielding questions on everything from crops to real estate to LNG to wigs to chemicals to sports.”
Bello later revealed he even granted an interview to Japanese business outlet Nikkei Asia, stressing Nigeria’s potential as a strategic partner for Japan despite the country’s poor showing at the conference.
The revelations quickly stirred a flood of reactions online, with many Nigerians venting anger at what they saw as wastefulness and lack of coordination.
@ClintonOmeri wrote: “Bwala @BwalaDaniel posted a video of Bola in Japan, so where is he and his team? Where did they go with Airforce 1? What is this international embarrassment Nigeria is getting on a daily basis?”
Another user, @donteddy15, commented: “Do you even know that a lot of our embassy staff abroad are owed salaries and allowances? Yet they want to increase politicians’ earnings. Confused government.”
Some others accused the delegation of focusing more on politics than national image. @AdolphusOb76∅4∅ quipped: “They’re busy preparing for the 2027 election when the masses are hungry.”
But in a swift rebuttal, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the viral claims, insisting Nigeria’s booth had not yet been officially opened.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, the ministry wrote: “Contrary to a tweet made by a participant at TICAD, the Nigerian booth at #TICAD9 has not yet been opened. The booth will be officially inaugurated on Thursday, 21st August 2025, after which it will become fully operational and serve the delegates of TICAD.”
The clarification, however, did little to quell public anger, with many Nigerians questioning why no communication had been made earlier, and why the booth appeared empty while the summit was already in full swing.
The Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), co-hosted by the Government of Japan, the United Nations, the African Union Commission, and the World Bank, is a major platform for strengthening Africa-Japan development partnerships.
This year’s 9th edition runs from August 20 to 22, 2025, with dozens of African leaders, investors, and policymakers in attendance.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Tokyo on Monday to join his counterparts in discussions on trade, infrastructure, energy transition, and human development.
While Nigeria remains one of Africa’s largest economies, the controversy surrounding its exhibition booth has reignited concerns about poor planning, image management, and coordination at international fora.
As the summit continues, eyes are now on the Nigerian delegation to redeem its image when the booth is eventually inaugurated.