The President of the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), Mr. Shuichi Suzuki, has visited Nigeria as part of a week-long familiarization tour aimed at deepening collaboration on agricultural development and food security.
During the visit, Mr. Suzuki met with former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, where discussions centered on sustaining investments in agriculture and enhancing support for smallholder farmers across Africa.
Chief Obasanjo commended SAA for its continued commitment to Nigeria’s agricultural transformation, urging African leaders to emulate the organization’s model of continuity and innovation in the sector.
In his remarks, Mr. Suzuki reaffirmed SAA’s commitment to strengthening agricultural systems in Nigeria, noting that beyond oil and gas, agriculture and the nation’s youthful population remain the country’s greatest assets.
The Country Director of SAA in Nigeria, Dr. Godwin Atser, described the visit as strategic, emphasizing that it provided Mr. Suzuki with firsthand insight into the nation’s agricultural challenges and the impact SAA has made over the years.
According to him, SAA has reached over 20 million farmers in Nigeria through various agricultural extension and advisory service models.
Prior to the Abeokuta visit, Mr. Suzuki held meetings in Abuja with the Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, His Excellency Suzuki Hideo, the Country Director of IFAD, Ms. Dede Ekoue, and Mr. Olawumi Ayodele, Director of Extension at the Federal Department of Agriculture.
Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Tokyo, the Sasakawa Africa Association operates across Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mali, and Uganda, providing agricultural extension, promoting climate-smart technologies, and empowering rural farming communities.
