Tinubu Brings Shame to Japan: Shrine-Like Nigerian Booth With Undersized Display Exposes Empty Leadership

Nigeria’s delegation to the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) has been involved in controversy and public anger after images and videos of an empty exhibition booth, followed by a poorly arranged and undersized display, went viral, triggering criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s pattern of negligence on the world stage.

On 20th August 2025, social entrepreneur Idris Ayodeji Bello posted a video showing Nigeria’s booth empty and unmanned, while other African nations, including Senegal and Togo, were actively engaging visitors and attracting investors. Bello, visibly embarrassed, remarked that “It is sad that Nigeria is the only unmanned booth at TICAD9,” even volunteering briefly to answer questions from confused Japanese attendees.

The footage spread rapidly, causing national outrage. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar posted on X.

Just like the ongoing show of shame at the empty Nigerian booth in faraway Japan, two years into this administration we are probably waiting for an official inauguration or preferably an ‘unveiling’ of Renewed Hope before Nigerians can experience good governance.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs tried to contain the fallout, claiming the booth had not yet been “formally launched” and would become operational on Thursday, 21st August, 2025. But when the booth was eventually “inaugurated,” the display itself came under fire. Nigerians on X described it as “looking like a shrine,” featuring undersized and poorly arranged cultural items. One post mocked, “Looks like someone rushed to Temu and forgot to check the size of the ‘Nigerian attire.’ Please, what exactly is this supposed to be?” The embarrassing images stood in contrast to the vibrant, well-curated stands of countries like Sudan, Eswatini, and Zimbabwe. “Even a con artist would dress this place to impress investors. First impressions matter,” one posted, while another wrote, “This is embarrassing to say the least, but let’s keep defending nonsense.”

President Tinubu’s government, as usual, is perennially unprepared, unserious, and disconnected from global diplomatic norms. Peter Obi, in a post, noted that the empty booth “reflects the empty promises Nigerians have been fed for two years,” calling it a “physical reminder of hollow governance.” He dismissed the government’s claim of “strategic engagements” as “a tired excuse designed to camouflage failure.” Even within the APC, Aina Dipo admitted the fiasco was “an unnecessary stain on Nigeria’s image caused by poor coordination.”

This is not the first time Nigeria has been embarrassed at an international forum. In previous summits, delegations arrived late, exhibited poorly, or skipped exhibition pavilions entirely, reinforcing perceptions of chronic mismanagement.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga downplayed the outrage, insisting the viral images “totally misrepresented our country’s mission and activities at TICAD9.” He claimed the Nigerian delegation, led by Tinubu, was focused on high-level bilateral meetings with corporations such as Toyota, CFAO, TOSHIBA, HITACHI, and international institutions like UN-Habitat, UNDP, and IFC, rather than participating in what he described as “a trade expo designed as an open forum.” The Presidency pointed to ongoing negotiations on major projects, including JICA-funded power initiatives and industrial development deals, as proof of Nigeria’s active participation.

However, no matter how successful behind-the-scenes meetings might be, the optics of an empty booth and amateurish presentation send a message of incompetence to investors and allies alike. Global summits are about both substance and symbolism. If they can’t organise a simple exhibition stand, what confidence can they inspire in managing an entire country?

The TICAD9 fiasco has deepened the perception of a careless and image-blind administration, one more interested in talking about “strategic engagements” than demonstrating basic professionalism. To many Nigerians, it is another example of the Tinubu government’s growing disconnect, promising reform and renewal at home, while stumbling repeatedly on the world stage. The Nigerian government needs to demonstrate seriousness in its presentations, as it claims to do in negotiation rooms; its global reputation will continue to decline, with Tinubu’s government turning avoidable diplomatic missteps into national embarrassments.

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