The President of the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), Mr. Shuichi Suzuki, has met with former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, as part of his week-long visit to Nigeria aimed at strengthening agricultural cooperation and food security efforts.
The meeting, held on Monday in Abeokuta, was part of a series of engagements by Mr. Suzuki, who is on his first official mission to Nigeria since assuming leadership of SAA. His visit focuses on deepening the organization’s long-standing partnership with Nigeria and exploring new avenues to support smallholder farmers.
Chief Obasanjo commended SAA for its consistent investment in Africa’s agricultural sector and its contributions to food production. He urged African governments and organizations to emulate SAA’s model, emphasizing that “continuity and commitment are key to achieving lasting agricultural transformation.”
Mr. Suzuki reaffirmed SAA’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s agricultural priorities, noting that the country’s greatest assets lie “not in oil and gas, but in its fertile land and vibrant youth population.”
He added that agriculture remains central to Nigeria’s sustainable development and food security agenda.
The Country Director of SAA in Nigeria, Dr. Godwin Atser, described the visit as strategic, saying it gave Mr. Suzuki firsthand insight into the nation’s agricultural challenges and opportunities.
“At SAA, we have reached over 20 million farmers across Nigeria through innovative extension models and partnerships. But there’s still more work ahead to ensure every smallholder farmer benefits from modern technologies,” Dr. Atser said.
Before meeting Chief Obasanjo, Mr. Suzuki had earlier held talks in Abuja with Japan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Suzuki Hideo; the Country Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Ms. Dede Ekoue; and the Director of Agricultural Extension at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Olawumi Ayodele.
Founded in 1986, SAA is a Tokyo-based non-governmental organization dedicated to agricultural extension and smallholder farmer development. The association operates in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mali, and Uganda, promoting climate-smart technologies and strengthening agricultural extension systems across Africa.
