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From Abel Leonard, Lafia
The Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, has praised the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) for its impactful rice and cassava value chain development initiatives in the state. The governor made this commendation during a courtesy visit by members of the SAA board and management, led by its President, Dr. Makoto Kitanaka, at the Government House in Lafia.
In a press release signed by Moses Nongoatse, Communication Officer,
Sasakawa Africa Association, Nigeria and send to Sun on Friday stated that Governor Sule emphasized the initiatives implemented by SAA, particularly in rice and cassava production, align with his administration’s agricultural development goals. “The two value chains of rice and cassava you have been developing in our state are vital crops for us, and we are seeing great results,” Sule stated.
He further noted that the state is currently harvesting 1,700 hectares of rice and aiming to achieve a yield of 10 tons per hectare with continued support from SAA.
Saturday Sun gathered that the SAA, with funding from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), has established two rice value chain development centres in Nasarawa State—located in Assakio and Agwatashi, Lafia and Obi Local Government Areas, respectively.
These centres are equipped with facilities for rice processing, storage, transportation, and training for rice cooperatives. Additionally, the SAA has supported the establishment of over 200 hectares of cassava seed multiplication fields, providing farmers with improved cassava varieties under the Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System, Phase 2 (BASICS-II) project in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
Governor Sule explained the significance of these projects in the state’s broader agenda for food security and economic development. “We’re getting three to five tons per hectare, but our target is 10 tons per hectare. I am sure that if we continue to work with Sasakawa, we’ll be able to increase the use of improved technologies and scale up yield and productivity,” he added.
Dr. Godwin Atser, SAA Nigeria’s Country Director, acknowledged the governor’s crucial role in the success of these initiatives. “Your Excellency, I won’t forget that when we were embarking on that journey, you gave us some important advice, and it gave us speedy progress and hitch-free delivery,” Dr. Atser said.
He also highlighted that Sasakawa has introduced climate-smart agriculture, organic fertilizer production, and alternative energy sources using rice husk to farmers in the state.
The SAA delegation included several key figures, including Mr. Ichiro Kabasawa, Executive Director of the Nippon Foundation; Ms. Kiyomi Takahashi; Mr. Kazufumi Morishige; Ms. Shiho Ichikawa; and Ms. Chiho Ogawa, all representing SAA Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Additionally, management staff from the SAA Strategic Partnerships Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dr. Mel Olouch, and Ms. Shushan Negussie, were also part of the visit. SAA Country Directors from Ethiopia, Mali, and Uganda were also in attendance, alongside staff from the Nigeria office.
Sun also reports that SAA and the Nasarawa State Agricultural Development Program (NADP) have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aimed at enhancing agricultural extension services in the state. This partnership seeks to leverage SAA’s expertise in technology dissemination and capacity-building for extension staff, ultimately increasing food production and security in Nasarawa State.
