The Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security ( FMAFS) Sen. Abubakar Kyari has joined his view with other prominent extension stakeholders across the globe to commend the positive impact of Sasakawa Africa Association ( SAA) to food security in Nigeria.
Sen. Abubakar Kyari stated this yesterday at the official commissioning of the SAA' s annex office in Abuja where the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. MATSUNAGA Kazuyoshi admonished Nigeria to take advantage of agric technologies to enhance food productivity.
Sen. Kyari who was represented by the Director of Extension Services of the Ministry, Mr. Brook Michael Asebake said the thirty two years of SAA in Nigeria has been very economically impactful to the rural farmers adding that SAA was a last man standing on extension services in many states of Nigeria.
The minister pointed out that SAA' s support to farmers' group is very enormous to the development of Agriculture especially in the area of advice to various farmers' cluster on methods to generate more incomes with positive results.
Speaking on the occasion, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. MATSUNAGA Kazuyoshi commended the consistent contribution of SAA, Nigeria to food security in the rural areas in the last 32 years saying there is need for more collaborations with Japanese technologies in order to develop in both Agriculture and education.
He advised on the need for Nigeria to deepen its agricultural practices with the use of technologies to improve productivity with the provision of internet services to rural areas so as to gain marketing connection for farmers' produce.
This position corroborated with the view of Executive Director ( ED) National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison (NAERLS) Prof. Emmanuel Ikani who pointed out that the use of modern technologies would attract our youth into farming more than the uses of cutlasses and hoes.
Also, the President of SAA, Dr. Makoto Kitanaka pointed that the 32 years of working with rural farmers in Nigeria has grown and evolved, adding that the annex office in Abuja is to amplify the reach to policy makers towards achieving the goal of food sustainability to rural farmers.
The two commissioners of Agriculture from Kano and Katsina states were both appreciative of SAA impact to their small holders farmers through the provision of improved inputs and best agronomics training towards increased productivity and earnings.
Representative of the Agric commissioner, the Managing Director of Kano State Agricultural Development Program, Dr. Faruk Kurawa appreciated the effort of SAA in rural agricultural development in the state since inception 1992 saying it was a thing of happiness to have extended from the state to others.
The commissioner, Dr. Danjuman Mahmoud through his representative expressed the happiness of the state to the SAA' s annex office in Abuja, and promised that Kano State Government would never lose focus of taking the lead in the development of agriculture just as he asked for the immortalization of the late Dr. Ahmed Falaki, the former Country Director of Sasakawa Nigeria, who was dastardly murdered without any clue till date.
The Katsina state agric commissioner, Prof.Ahmed Bakori Mohammed was full of gratification to SAA through the training the organization had impacted in him in the last twenty years saying his state would need the presence of Sasakawa in Katsina state towards the resettlement of the rural farmers back to their original base after recovering from bandits' attack.
Prof. Mohammad advised SAA not to derail from its original focus on rural farmers' support and development towards more income earnings saying his farmers would need its assistance in the areas of improved seeds and fertilizers
The SAA Nigeria Country Director, Dr. Godwin Atser and his predecessor, Prof. Sani Miko acknowledged the support of the Kano State Government for housing the organization for several years free of charge before moving to its own office saying it was well appreciated.
Dr. Atser also acknowledged and thanked the support of the SAA president towards the opening of Abuja annex office saying it was a mission accomplished through the president's support and his predecessor.
Other people present at the occasion are ED, AFAAS, Dr. Silim Mohammed Nandy, President NIFAAS, Prof. Dele Tolugbonse, SAA Ethiopia Country Director, Dr. Fentahum Mengistu, former PS, Federal Ministry, Elder Oloche Idache, Chairman ADP in Nigeria, Emmanuel Alanana, DG, International Cooperation& Development, Benue, Mr. Aonadoaseer Leonard- Angelo Viashima, Prof. Tunji Arokoyo, Prof. Oyibe and Chairman, Agricultural Correspondents Association of Nigeria ( ACAN) Mr. Collins Nnabuife.
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