His Excellency Mohammed B. S. Jallow, Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia, on Thursday, 22 August, held a high-level bilateral meeting with Mr. Shigeru Ishiba, Prime Minister of Japan, on the margins of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama.
Vice President Jallow expressed The Gambia’s deep appreciation for Japan’s warm hospitality and longstanding commitment to Africa’s development. He conveyed fraternal greetings from President
Adama Barrow to the Government and people of Japan, reaffirming The Gambia’s readiness to deepen bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.
During the talks, Vice President Jallow underscored the significance of strengthening ties in peace and security, particularly highlighting Japan’s leadership role in advancing stability in Africa and support for
United Nations Security Council reform, including African representation as a permanent member.
On economic collaboration, he announced The Gambia’s decision to establish a resident Embassy in Tokyo to enhance diplomatic presence, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges. He sought Japan’s support in facilitating the mission’s operational setup. He further emphasized opportunities in agro-processing, renewable energy, tourism, and ICT, while also calling for the expansion of Japanese scholarship programmes for Gambian students.
Prime Minister Ishiba welcomed The Gambia’s strategic vision and expressed respect for the country’s investment in human resource development. He reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting food
security through agricultural equipment, public-private partnerships in education digitization, and advanced food processing technologies. Both leaders also concurred on the need for closer cooperation
in addressing global challenges, including UN reforms.
In a separate engagement, Vice President Jallow held discussions with UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, during which he was briefed on UNICEF’s programmes in The Gambia under the
leadership of Ms. Nafisa Binte Shafique. UNICEF’s initiatives span child protection, education, health, nutrition, WASH, and social protection, with flagship projects addressing female genital mutilation
(FGM), child marriage, violence prevention, inclusive education, birth registration, and youth empowerment.
UNICEF’s notable contributions include the BReST Project, which provides cash transfers and nutrition education to lactating mothers, as well as nationwide support for immunization, safe school reopening
frameworks, and clean water access in schools and communities.
Vice President Jallow reaffirmed his government’s commitment to working closely with UNICEF and other partners to safeguard children’s rights, strengthen social protection systems, and ensure equitable access to essential services for all Gambian children.

The back-to-back meetings reflect The Gambia’s proactive engagement on the international stage at TICAD9, advancing strategic partnerships to promote peace, development, and human capital growth.