The President of the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), Mr. Shuichi Suzuki, has met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Mr. Suzuki Hideo, and officials of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to discuss strategies for strengthening Nigeria’s food security and agricultural development.
Mr. Suzuki, who is on a week-long familiarization visit to Nigeria, held talks with Chief Obasanjo in Abeokuta on Monday as part of efforts to deepen Sasakawa’s engagement in Nigeria’s agricultural transformation.
During the meeting, Obasanjo commended the Japanese organization for its sustained investment in African agriculture, urging African leaders to emulate the group’s model of long-term commitment.
“Continuity is key to agricultural transformation in Africa,” the former president said, stressing that sustained investment in the sector was crucial to ensuring food sufficiency and economic stability.
Responding, Mr. Suzuki reaffirmed SAA’s commitment to supporting smallholder farmers and strengthening agricultural systems in Nigeria. He noted that beyond oil and gas, Nigeria’s biggest assets remain agriculture and its youthful population.
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In his remark, Dr. Godwin Atser, SAA’s Country Director in Nigeria, described the visit as strategic, adding that it offered the SAA President firsthand insight into the opportunities and challenges within the country’s agricultural sector.
“Over the past three decades, SAA has reached more than 20 million farmers across Nigeria through various extension models,” Atser said. “But much more remains to be done to expand impact and reach more communities.”
Before visiting Chief Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Mr. Suzuki had, paid courtesy visits to several key partners in Abuja, including the Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, His Excellency Suzuki Hideo; the Director of Extension, Federal Department of Agricultural Extension, Mr. Olawumi Ayodele; and the Country Director, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Ms. Dede Ekoue.
The visit marks Mr. Suzuki’s first official engagement in Nigeria since assuming leadership of the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA).
Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Tokyo, the Sasakawa Africa Association operates in four African countries — Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mali, and Uganda — with a mission to strengthen agricultural extension systems, promote climate-smart technologies, and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.