The FederalGovernment of Nigeria
The FederalGovernment of Nigeria has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) with the Sasakawa Africa
Association (SAASG2000). The Mou is to deepen, expand, consolidate
and sustain the developed and proven extension models being
delivered to the Nigerian smallholders farmers and also to realize
the overall Nigerian economic objective as enshrined in the
Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP)
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development and Sasakawa collaboration implementation strategy was
further reviewed to achieve better results under six thematic
areas namely ,Post-Harvest and Agro Processing(PHAP), Crop
Productivity Enhancement (CPE), Monitoring Evaluation Learning and
Sharing (MELS),Sasakawa Fund for Extension Education (SAFE) and
Management..
Speaking at the event in Abuja, the Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono,
said that the collaboration would improve the capacity building and
support extension staff towards assisting small holders farmers in
Nigeria.
Alhaji Nanono also noted that collaboration effort
with Sasakawa would focus on transfer of appropriately tested and
acceptable knowledge know –how and technological packages on
selected agricultural commodity value chain. It will also benefit
commercially oriented smallholder farmers, particularly women and
youth and ultimately improve the country’s agricultural
productivity and production, food security and nutrition, as well
as bring about the reduction of post- harvest losses’’.
He pledged the Federal Government’s support for
Sasaakwa initiatives in Nigeria, which he said was in line with
President Muhammad Buhari’s Next Level Agenda of achieving food
security and economic growth in Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Executive Director, NIPPON
Foundation, Japan’s largest private philanthropic Organization and
the major financing institution backing Sasakawa, Ichiro Kabasawa,
said that the organization would lead in influencing the inclusive
transformation of African Agriculture towards empowering
smallholder-farmers and sustain increased productivity and
income in response to market demand.
He further said that Nigeria has the potential
to do more by increasing its investments in nutrition and help to
secure the health and well-being of mothers and children, stating
that it would lead to better economic growth for the
country.
Kabasawa informed that ‘’ as at December 2018, the
program promoted demand – driven and value – chain – oriented
curriculum in 26 institutions (24 universities and two agricultural
colleges), across nine African countries including Nigeria. He
added that in 2019,Sasakwa Africa Association (SAA) has made a
strategic shift that allows organization changes to make SAA
interventions more effective and efficient with better synergy and
coordination’’
Earlier in her welcome address, the Director,
Federal Department of Agriculture Extension, Mrs Karima Babangida,
pointed out that the collaboration is improving the productivity
and strengthening extension delivery for 2018/2019 cropping season
in six existing states namely Ogun (rice and cassava), Cross River
(rice and cassava), Katisna (Maize and Cotton, Anambra (Rice and
cassava) Gombe (rice maize) and Kogi (Cassava).
She further informed that six Universities
namely:Ahmadu Bello University, Zaira, Bayero University ,Kano,
Adamawa State University , University of llorin, Kwara, Federal
University ,Dutse, Usmanu Danfodio University ,Sokoto have also
benefitted from the collaboration under SAFE thematic
area.