Nigeria has come under criticism after its booth was left unmanned at TICAD9 in Japan, forcing a private citizen to engage curious visitors. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, insists the booth had not yet been opened.
Nigeria has faced backlash after its booth was reportedly left unmanned at the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Japan, despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presence at the summit.
Videos shared online by participant Idris Ayodeji Bello showed him taking over the stand to answer questions from attendees. “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, adding that he fielded inquiries “from crops to real estate to wigs to chemicals to LNG to sports.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the claims, stating the booth had “not yet been opened” and would be formally inaugurated on Thursday, August 21, 2025.
The incident sparked outrage on social media, with users calling it “an international embarrassment.” TICAD9, co-hosted by Japan, the UN, AU Commission, and the World Bank, aims to strengthen development partnerships with Africa.