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.
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.
