Ambassador SUZUKI Hideo Hosts Sasakawa Africa Association President, Reaffirms Japan’s Commitment to Nigerian Agriculture
2025/12/3
On 31 October 2025, Ambassador SUZUKI Hideo welcomed Mr. SUZUKI Shuichi, President of the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), together with Dr. Godwin Atser (Country Director) and Dr. Mel Oluoch (Director, Strategic Partnerships) to his residence in Abuja. The warm courtesy visit highlighted the deep, long-standing collaboration between Japan and SAA in transforming African agriculture.
The Ambassador outlined Japan’s two priority areas for agricultural ODA in Nigeria: strengthening value chains for industrial diversification and improving nutritional status. He praised SAA’s remarkable role as Japan’s largest and most dynamic agricultural programme in Africa.
The SAA delegation reported operations in over 20 Nigerian states, focusing on nutrition-sensitive agriculture, access to finance and inputs (including through Nippon Biodiesel Fuel Co., Ltd), and institutional capacity building. They highlighted growing state-level investments, new market-systems approaches for sustainability.
The meeting reinforced shared determination to deepen Japan–SAA cooperation toward productive, resilient, and commercially viable agriculture that benefits Nigeria’s smallholder farmers and the nation’s economy.
The Ambassador outlined Japan’s two priority areas for agricultural ODA in Nigeria: strengthening value chains for industrial diversification and improving nutritional status. He praised SAA’s remarkable role as Japan’s largest and most dynamic agricultural programme in Africa.
The SAA delegation reported operations in over 20 Nigerian states, focusing on nutrition-sensitive agriculture, access to finance and inputs (including through Nippon Biodiesel Fuel Co., Ltd), and institutional capacity building. They highlighted growing state-level investments, new market-systems approaches for sustainability.
The meeting reinforced shared determination to deepen Japan–SAA cooperation toward productive, resilient, and commercially viable agriculture that benefits Nigeria’s smallholder farmers and the nation’s economy.