Japan will offer $10 billion over the next five years to help African nations tackle climate change, government sources said Sunday. The plan will be announced by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in his speech at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, to be held in Yokohama on May 28, the sources said. Fukuda is also expected to address Japan's initiative to launch a new lending scheme to promote investment in African countries. Japan has been studying the feasibility of doubling official development assistance to Africa over the next five years as well as doubling trade and investment, they said. Japan is hoping to demonstrate its readiness to exercise leadership in the fields of climate change and African aid, which will top the agenda at the Group of Eight summit in Hokkaido in July, they said. According to a draft of his speech, Fukuda will advocate the launch of the new lending system and beefing up trade insurance to reduce risk and promote Japanese investment. Japan intends to help Africa adopt clean energy and technology as well as develop cereal crops resistant to high temperatures and dry weather.