By Sandra Chukwunyere
The President of the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), Mr. Shuichi Suzuki, paid a courtesy visit to former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo,in Abeokuta on Monday. The meeting was part of Mr. Suzuki’s week-long familiarization visit to Nigeria, aimed at deepening discussions on SAA’s long-standing involvement in Nigeria’s agricultural development and food security.
Speaking during the meeting, Chief Obasanjo commended SAA for its continuous commitment and investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, as well as Africa in general.
He emphasized that African leaders needed to emulate SAA’s approach by sustaining investments in agriculture, stressing that continuity was key to agricultural transformation.
Mr. Suzuki responded by reiterating SAA’s commitment to investing in agriculture in Nigeria, highlighting the country’s greatest assets beyond oil and gas: agriculture and its rapidly growing young population.
In a closed-door meeting, both men explored opportunities for collaboration to further enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and support Nigeria’s agricultural transformation agenda.
The Country Director of SAA in Nigeria, Dr. Godwin Atser, described the visit to Chief Obasanjo as strategic, adding that it afforded Mr. Suzuki the opportunity to better understand the importance of agriculture, its challenges, and the impact SAA is making towards improving livelihoods in Nigeria.
Dr. Atser noted that SAA, as an agricultural extension and advisory services organization, had reached 20 million farmers in Nigeria over the last three decades, using different extension models. He added that more needed to be done to impact more farmers and improve their livelihoods. Founded in 1986, SAA is a non-governmental organization dedicated to agricultural extension and smallholder farmer development, with four country offices in Africa, including Nigeria.
Mr. Suzuki, who assumed leadership of SAA recently, has a distinguished career with Sumitomo Corporation, serving in senior executive roles across its international offices. Prior to joining SAA, he served as Advisor and Counselor to the Mineral Resources and Chemicals Business Unit, as well as Chairman of GYXIS Corporation. Throughout his career, he has been a consistent advocate of sustainable growth, global collaboration, and responsible resource management.
Before meeting with Chief Obasanjo, Mr. Suzuki visited the Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, His Excellency, Suzuki Hideo; the Director of Extension, Federal Department of Extension, Mr. Olawumi Ayodele; and the Country Director, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Ms. Dede Ekoue in Abuja. These meetings demonstrate SAA’s efforts to strengthen ties with key stakeholders in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Newspoint247online reports that the SAA’s mission is to empower smallholder farmers and improve their livelihoods through agricultural extension and advisory services. With a presence in Nigeria since 1992, SAA has partnered with development agencies, agricultural development programmes, and government institutions to strengthen extension systems, introduce climate-smart technologies, and empower farming communities across the country.
