Date: 15 May 2007
Newspaper: Mainichi Newspapers

In an interview with the Mainichi Newspapers in Tokyo on 14 May, Mr. Kanayo F. Nwanze, Vice President of IFAD, spoke about the TICAD IV meeting to be held in Yokohama in 2008. He demonstrated his expectations for Japan, stating that the country is “standing at the forefront of assistance for Africa.” He also talked about the issue of climate change and stressed the need for emergency countermeasures saying that, “There is a possibility that 1.8 billion African people would be affected by global warming in the future due to water shortage.”

Anticipating “the realization of South-South cooperation” at TICAD, Mr. Nwanze discussed “NERICA” – a new brand of rice developed for Africa that has taken root in countries such as Uganda – and the “microcredit” system in Bangladesh as good examples of such cooperation. Mr. Nwanze proposed that the TICAD meeting serve as an opportunity for developing countries to learn from each other. Furthermore, he said that the cooperation between UN agencies, including IFAD and Japan, will be evaluated, and that he expected a “multiplier effect through strengthening collaboration.”

Mr. Nwanze is a Nigerian national and is an international expert on agricultural development. He assumed his current position in March 2007.

Written by Mr. Takuji NAKAO, Foreign News Dept