As part of its mandates on agricultural improvement, the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) Nigeria has facilitated the deployment of 12 combine harvesters, Hijet minivans, and smart irrigation systems to support Kano State.
Kano State also took delivery of full welding and fabrication kits to support local farm equipment fabricators in the state.
These farm machines were facilitated by the SAA through funding from the Islamic Development Bank, Lives and Livelihood Funds, and the Kano State Government.
The farm inputs will be used by the Kano State Agropastoral Development Project (KSADP) to assist rural farmers in enhancing productivity.
Speaking at the High-Level Workshop on Agricultural Transformation and What Works, the Chairman of SAA, Dr. Amit Roy, said the Sasakawa Africa Association’s journey has been one of growth and transformation in Nigeria.
He said SAA remains committed to playing a key role in the partnerships, fostering innovation and resilience in agriculture using new technologies.
“Today’s gathering, as we celebrate the success of the KSADP, feels like a testament to that relationship. KSADP, a collaboration between the Islamic Development Bank, Lives and Livelihoods Fund, and the Kano State Government, is a five-year project focused on developing resilient agro-pastoral systems.
“As will be presented later in this symposium, the project has already achieved significant milestones, and SAA is proud to be a technical partner in implementing its crop value chain component, contributing to the enhancement of agricultural productivity.
“The project addresses issues related to low agricultural productivity and the challenges posed by poor soils and climate change,” he said.
The President of SAA, Dr Makoto Kitanaka, is implementing KSDP in Kano State. SAA has focused on addressing key challenges such as climate change, rising fertiliser prices, and soil health while always listening to the voices of farmers.
He emphasised the need to prioritise the creation of sufficient employment opportunities in the agriculture sector, particularly for young people and women.
Kitanaka maintained that there are numerous opportunities in the agricultural value chain for youth and women.
“SAA is committed to promoting agriculture and rural development across different countries,” he added.
On his part, the Country Director, Sasakawa Africa Association, Dr. Godwin Atser, said their focus is on the KSADP, which is a 5-year project that is being funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF), Kano State Government, and implemented by the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), Nigeria.
He explained that the goal of the project is to develop agro-pastoral production systems in the state.
Atser noted that the project has made significant strides in enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of cereals and vegetables under the crop value chains component in Kano State, thereby positively impacting the agricultural sector and the livelihoods of farmers in the state.
He further noted that the project had established and supported 5,348 clusters with capacity building and inputs for grain and vegetable production enhancement and 1,237 clusters to strengthen the seed system.
“Established 54 agro-processing centres, 3 parabolic vegetable solar drying centres, and 23 onion solar drying facilities; trained and empowered the benefiting communities with starter packs.
“Enhanced linkages between primary producers and input/output market actors across value chains,” the SAA Country Director said.
Dr Atser, however, noted that the meeting offers SAA the opportunity to reflect and meaningfully engage further with our partners and provides a foundation for scaling and replication.
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