African and world leaders in attendance espoused the growing links between Africa and Asia and called on the Japanese government to do more to ensure greater Japanese trade and investment throughout Africa. To date, Japanese investment in Africa remains small with only US$ 415 million invested on the continent between 2002 and 2004, 0.4% of Japan’s total FDI flows. Trade exports to Japan from Africa amounted to only 2% of Japan’s total imports in 2003 – 2004. Japan’s involvement on the continent has been largely through small humanitarian donations and piecemeal investment activities, far out shadowed by China and India’s engagement on the continent. Although Japan’s engagement has not been typically noteworthy over the past decade, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has stressed the growing role of Japan through TICAD IV in assisting Africa by boosting economic growth, enhancing human security and addressing environmental and climate change impacts on the continent.

In attendance will be leaders from 14 African States representing all the major African organisations including the African Union (AU) and NEPAD, the New Plan for Africa’s Development. The Summit follows last year’s high profile China-Africa Summit and raises once again the topic of the ‘Scramble for Africa’ as India’s engagement on the continent is brought under the spotlight.