The Sasakawa Africa Association, SAA, an international non-governmental organisation supporting agricultural development in Africa, supported more than 18,000 smallholder farmers across Nasarawa State in 2025 with climate-resilient agricultural technologies, biofortified crops and access to commercial markets.
SAA-Nigeria Country Director, Dr Godwin Atser, disclosed this during an official visit by a delegation of the organisation to the Nasarawa State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Lafia.
Dr Atser, who was represented by the Coordinator for Climate Resilience and Sustainable Agri-Systems, Mr Nathaniel Otene, highlighted key achievements recorded by the organisation in the state during the year.
He said; “the Association established 60 community demonstration plots across Nasarawa, providing more than 2,000 farmers with practical knowledge of soil health management, conservation practices and climate-adaptive farming technologies.”
Otene also said that “through the Japan-funded Policy and Human Resource Development Grant (PHRDG), SAA deployed a digital tool, e-Kikashi, to track greenhouse gas emissions and measure soil carbon sequestration.”
He explained that “the initiative was designed to help ensure that local agricultural practices remained aligned with global climate standards.”
Dr. Atser also urged the state government to provide counterpart funding to scale up these interventions.
Speaking, on Nutrition and Market Access, Programme Officer Dr. Moshood Sulaiman emphasised chemical-free post-harvest storage solutions, including Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags and converted plastic water tanks capable of preserving grains for up to three years.
He noted that, SAA is also actively driving the production of nutrient-dense crops such as Provitamin A maize, Zinc millet, and Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes specifically targeting women of reproductive age and children under five.
On the aspect of market integration, Programme Officer Mr. Jonathan Yassah shared that 18,900 farmers received training to run their farms as viable commercial businesses.
He said; “A total of 55 farmer organizations were linked directly to input and output markets. Notably, Nasarawa is the only state hosting two Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA)-supported aggregation centers, located in the Assakio and Agwatashi communities of Lafia LGA.”
Also speaking, SAA Communications Officer Mr. Moses Nongoatse noted that Nasarawa remains a key strategic partner among the 18 Nigerian states where the Japanese NGO operates.
He added that the team is bringing media partners directly to intervention sites to document authentic, field-level success stories from beneficiary farmers.
Responding, the State Commissioner of Agriculture and Food Security, Mohammed Iyimoga, expressed appreciation for SAA’s continuous support.
