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Tag: Sasakawa

  • Obasanjo, Sasakawa chief meet to deepen pact in agriculture

    Obasanjo, Sasakawa chief meet to deepen pact in agriculture

    President of Sasakawa Africa Association, Shuichi Suzuki, yesterday visited former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, to deepen collaboration in advancing agricultural growth and improve smallholder farmers’ livelihoods.

    Obasanjo lauded the body for its lcommitment to agricultural development and food security in Nigeria and Africa.

     He urged African leaders to emulate its consistency in investment, noting that continuity is key to achieving agricultural transformation.

    “African leaders need to emulate SAA by sustaining investments in agriculture. Continuity is key and necessary for agricultural transformation,” he said.

    Mr. Suzuki said the visit was part of his familiarisation tour of Nigeria aimed at strengthening the organisation’s engagement in the country’s agricultural sector.

    “Beyond oil and gas, Nigeria’s greatest assets are agriculture and its young population, which is growing,” Suzuki said.

    The two leaders explored opportunities to enhance Nigeria’s agricultural transformation agenda through interventions that support farmers and strengthen food systems.

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    Country Director of SAA in Nigeria, Dr. Godwin Atser, described the visit as strategic, saying it allowed Suzuki to gain firsthand insight into Nigeria’s agricultural potential, challenges, and SAA’s impact.

    “SAA has, in the last three decades, reached 20 million farmers in Nigeria through extension models. However, there’s more to be done to reach more farmers,” he said.

    Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Tokyo, SAA is focused on agricultural extension and smallholder farmer development.

    With offices in Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mali, and Uganda, the organization has been operating in Nigeria since 1992, partnering with development agencies and government institutions to promote climate-smart technologies, strengthen extension systems, and empower farming communities.

    Before his visit to Chief Obasanjo, Mr. Suzuki also met with the Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, His Excellency Suzuki Hideo; the Director of Extension at the Federal Department of Extension, Mr. Olawumi Ayodele; and the Country Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Ms. Dede Ekoue, in Abuja.

    This marks Mr. Suzuki’s first official visit to Nigeria since assuming leadership of SAA.

     He brings with him decades of international experience from Sumitomo Corporation, where he held senior executive positions in Baghdad, Singapore, Paris, and London, and later led the company’s Energy Division, promoting global sustainability initiatives.

    Following his retirement from Sumitomo in 2019, Mr. Suzuki served as Advisor and Counselor to the Mineral Resources and Chemicals Business Unit and as Chairman of GYXIS Corporation, continuing his advocacy for sustainable growth and responsible resource management.

  • Kano Govt, Sasakawa empower 45 local fabricators 

    Kano Govt, Sasakawa empower 45 local fabricators 

    The Kano State Agropastoral Development Project (KSADP) in collaboration with Japanese firm, Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) have trained 45 local fabricators in manufacturing of agricultural machines. 

    The local fabricators were empowered with welding and fabrication kits such as; a pair of welding Helmets, Safety Glasses, Welding inverter machines, Angle grinders, safety booths, and protective gloves worth N8.5 million to enhance their trade. 

    The project which is funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Lives and Livelihoods Funds is being executed in collaboration with the Agricultural Engineering Department workshop at the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. 

    Speaking during a media tour in the state, the Communication Officer for SAA, Moses Nongoatse, said the program aims to enhance the skills of local fabricators and welders, enabling them to produce high-quality agricultural machines that meet the needs of smallholder farmers. 

    Nongoatse noted that the training program facilitated by the Sasakawa Africa Association, implementing the crop component of the KSADP, focused on practical skills development, with 90 percent of the training dedicated to hands-on activities. 

    He said the training is expected to provide participants with the skills necessary to operate and maintain machinery efficiently, reducing reliance on manual labour. It also aims to equip participants with the technical knowledge and skills required to design, fabricate, and supply high-quality agricultural machines. 

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    ”The training will also emphasise the quality and durability of locally manufactured machines, dispelling any misconceptions about their performance. Through the training, participants will also be provided with basic business management skills, helping them to run their fabrication businesses effectively.

     ”The agricultural sector in Kano State, Nigeria, is undergoing a transformation driven by the increasing adoption of mechanization. 

    ”While this shift is promising for boosting productivity and reducing labour burdens, the local manufacturing of agricultural machines faces several challenges. These include erratic power supply, high raw material costs, inefficient automation, and a lack of technical know-how”, he added. 

     The Nation learnt that the trainees, selected from the 44 local government areas of the state, were taught general safety precautions, how to read manufacturing drawings, operate machine tools, balance rotating parts, and weld components effectively.