Joseph Bakare
A strong Japan–Nigeria development partnership in agriculture will take center stage at a high -level stakeholder workshop where the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Ministry of Livestock Development, Japanese government representatives, and several state governors will converge in Abuja on Thursday, April 9, 2026.
The event, convened by the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) Nigeria, is expected to bring together a rare mix of policy leadership, diplomatic actors, and subnational governments at a time when Nigeria is under pressure to scale practical solutions to food insecurity, low productivity, and climate stress in agriculture.
Holding at Rockview Royale Hotel, Wuse II, Abuja, the workshop, themed “SAA @ 40: Deepening Impact and Expanding Reach at Scale,”, doubles as SAA Nigeria’s annual stakeholder workshop and the kickoff of 40th anniversary celebrations – marking four decades of transforming smallholder agriculture across Africa and 34 years of impact in Nigeria.
Leading the Japanese delegation are Mr. Shuichi Suzuki, President of SAA; Mr. Suzuki Hideo, Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria; and Mr. Ishigame Keiji, Chief Country Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Their participation is expected to spotlight Japan’s growing role in agricultural technology transfer, mechanization, and private sector investment in Nigeria.
On the Nigerian side, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, will deliver ministerial remarks and officially unveil SAA’s 40th anniversary activities. The Minister of Livestock Development, alongside governors from key agricultural states including Oyo, Benue, Kano, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Yobe, and Gombe, is also expected to participate, to underscore the role SAA can play in agropastoral development and deepening partnerships with the state governments.
The workshop comes at a critical moment for Nigeria’s agriculture sector, as stakeholders seek scalable, evidence-based responses to persistent challenges around low productivity, climate change, soil degradation, weak extension delivery, food insecurity, agribusiness development, and market inclusion.
Speaking ahead of the event, Dr. Godwin Atser, Country Director of SAA Nigeria, described the gathering as a strategic platform for aligning national priorities with development partnerships and field-level realities.
“This workshop is more than a commemorative event,” he said. “We are bringing together those shaping policy, those investing in agriculture, and those working directly with farmers, to reflect on what works and agree on how to scale impact. It is an annual strategic gathering of institutions and stakeholders whose partnership continues to support our mission of transforming the lives of smallholder farmers.
A key feature of the summit will be high-level discussions on the role of the private sector in agricultural development, as well as reflections on outcomes from the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 2025) and what they mean for Nigeria’s agricultural transformation agenda.
The event will also showcase results from SAA’s 2021–2025 Strategic Plan, which has focused on promoting regenerative agriculture, market-oriented agriculture, and nutrition-sensitive approaches to improve productivity, resilience, and farmer incomes.
Beyond speeches, participants will engage with practical innovations through an exhibition of agricultural technologies by Japanese companies, led by the Japanese Ambassador, providing a direct interface between policy conversations and real-world solutions.
State-level engagement is expected to feature prominently, with goodwill messages from governors and recognition of long-standing partnerships, including an award to the Executive Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya (APC) for sustained collaboration with SAA.
The workshop will provide an opportunity to showcase achievements, lessons learned, and success stories emerging from the implementation of this strategic direction, while also generating insights to inform SAA’s next phase of programming in Nigeria and across Africa.
As Nigeria looks to strengthen its food systems and rural economy, the Abuja meeting is expected to move beyond commemoration, serving as a coordination point between government, development partners, and the private sector on the next phase of agricultural growth.
Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) was established in 1986 by Japanese philanthropist Ryoichi Sasakawa, Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
The organization is dedicated to improving the productivity, profitability, and resilience of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa through agricultural extension, capacity building, and systems strengthening.
Now active in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mali and Uganda, SAA works with governments, universities, agricultural colleges, research institutions, private sector actors, and development partners to promote improved technologies and practical innovations that increase crop yields, household incomes, and food and nutrition security.
Since 1993, SAA has maintained a strong presence in 29 Nigeria states, where it has contributed significantly to strengthening agricultural extension systems and farmer-centered development.