Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 1, 2025 Excellencies, diplomats, and dignitaries from over 150 embassies, international development partners, iNGOs, government agencies, private investors, and others attended the Japan National Day where Japanese Emperor Naruhito's Birthday was also celebrated on February 27, 2025 at the Ambassadors Residence in Addis Ababa. SAA, along with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Good Neighbors Japan, featured its interventions prominently during the event. Japanese investment businesses such as Moenco, Yamaha Motors, UD Trucks, Isuzu Motors Ltd, Andu Amet Concept Store, Nissan Motors Co. Ltd, and Safaricom also showcased their products and services.

Amhara Region, Ethiopia February 28, 2025 With the support of SAA, extension agents have been engaged with vermi-compost and vermi-wash preparation at the Kokit Kebele Farmers’ Training Center (FTC) in Meket District through the regenerative agriculture concepts, technologies and practices. These interventions play pivotal role in sustainable food systems by practicing integrated soil fertility management such as treating soil with vermi-compost and vermi-wash, apply these innovations on farmers’ vegetable production or permagardens, community variety plots, cluster-based crop production and other integrated interventions to impact and enable the environment and agro-biodiversity to gradually ensure sustainability.

Amhara Region, Ethiopia February 27, 2025 The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) in #Ethiopia supported seedling production, natural resources management, soil and water conservation measures, and other activities implemented on farmers’ demonstrations and landscape-levels of the communities in Muhada micro-watershed of Meket District’s Kokit Kebele.

Central Ethiopia Region, Ethiopia February 24, 2025 The Sasakawa Africa Association’s host farmers, extension agents, key actors and other members of the Kerekicho Kebele community in Angacha District, Central Ethiopia, are carrying out soil and water conservation activities and practices as part of regenerative agriculture. To enable the environment, ecosystem and agro-biodiversity, partners engagement, community discussion and resource mobilization are critical in promoting the effective implementation of sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices.

Kano, Nigeria February 21, 2025 Early this week, we met in the Benin Republic to evaluate the progress of the PHRDG projects in Benin, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. Led by SAA Nigeria Country Director, Dr. Godwin Atser, we engaged with key donors and partners, including the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), CGIAR Excellence in Agronomy 2030, Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation, and officials from the #Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The highlight of our visit was hosting a #MegaFieldDay under the #PHRDG2 Benin Project, where farmers, researchers, and partners gathered to showcase climate-smart rice innovations in action. Dr. Atser presented updates on the PHRDG project's progress, highlighting regenerative agriculture techniques, their adoption, and sharing key insights on sustainable rice farming practices implemented under the Improving Rice Productivity by Decarbonizing 12,000 hectares of Irrigated Rice Paddy in the Benin Republic and the Evidence-Based Regenerative Agriculture to Address Climate Change in Africa Projects in Nigeria and Ethiopia. Mel Oluoch Dr. Godwin Atser African Development Bank Group Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation Leonard Rusinamhodzi [PhD, MBA-Fin] #PHRDG2BeninProject #MegaFieldDay #SustainableAgriculture #ClimateSmartRice #RegenerativeAgriculture #AgriculturalInnovation #FoodSecurity #AfricaAgriculture #productivity #innovation #resilience #farmers #Seed #nigeria #beninrepublic #Ethiopia #japan

#Soybean #Productivity and #Resilience #Innovation February 20, 2025, SAA #AGRA funded SoPRI and Soya-Seed Projects are being implemented in Jimma and Bunno-Bedele Zones of Oromia region by SAA jointly with Lersha and Farm Radio International (FRI). Towards enhancing projects’ performance, SAA management paid a visit to soybean farmers’ seed production clusters in Chara Kebele, Getchi District, #Bunno-Bedele Zone, and Koticha Gibe Kebele, Nedhi Gibe District, #Jimma Zone. Moreover, community consultation and awareness creation events organized by involving #farmers, extension agents, partners and other value-chain actors. Partners and experts visited and supervised the Kotecha Gibe irrigation supported soybean seed multiplication in Nedhi Gibe District of #Jimma zone. One of the farmer visited was Mr. Nejash Aba Diga's soybean field, a member from Kotecha Gibe Kebele Community-based #Seed Producers.

Kano, Nigeria February 13, 2025 Fifty-one (51) Artificially Aerated Onion Storage facilities (AAOST) introduced by SAA through the KSADP are substantially reducing post-harvest losses in onions, with onion farmers adopting the innovative solar-powered technology, which is increasing profits and transforming lives, thanks to funding from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF). #AgricultureMatters #SustainabilityInAction #FoodSecurity #InnovationInAgriculture #FarmersFirst #RuralDevelopment #SolarPower #AgriculturalTechnology #EmpoweringFarmers #GlobalFoodSystems Godwin Atser Mel Oluoch Gates Foundation African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) Mastercard Foundation Fund for Resilience and Prosperity Dr Farouk Kurawa Sadiq Hamman Albert Taru Ephraim Adams PMP®, CMP, DFAI Moses Nongoatse BSc, MPR Mariam Kikelomo Aliyu Aminu Gusau Habib Zangina Diso Dr Moshood Sulaiman

Abuja, Nigeria February 11, 2025 AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION: SAA/KSADP TEAMS EMBARK ON STUDY TOUR TO INDIA A team consisting of project staff from the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), Nigeria, the Project Management Unit of the Kano State Agropastoral Development Project (KSADP), officials from the Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA), and key representatives from the Kano State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, has embarked on a study tour to India. The aim of the tour, which began on February 8, 2025, is to learn from India's successful agricultural mechanization practices and explore opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing that would strengthen SAA and KSADP interventions in Kano State. The #KSADP, funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF), is a 5-year project that aims to contribute to poverty reduction and strengthen the food and nutrition security of vulnerable populations in Kano State. SAA, a technical partner on the project, is implementing the crop value chain sub-component with a focus on rice, maize, sorghum, millet, and vegetables. The sub-component targets 450,000 smallholder farmers across the 44 local government areas of the state, with the lens of inclusivity placed on women, youth and persons living with disabilities. According to the SAA Nigeria Country Director, Dr. Godwin Atser, the visit is being done in two batches, with the first batch comprising of 11 officials already in India where they will spend seven days in New Delhi and Hyderabad, exploring the South Asian country’s agricultural mechanization strategies, technologies, and best practices. #End #AgriculturalDevelopment #MechanizationInAction #FarmTech #SustainableAgriculture #GlobalPartnerships #InnovationInAgriculture #FoodSecurity #RuralDevelopment #AgriculturalGrowth #InternationalCollaboration Mel Oluoch Godwin Atser Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Lives and Livelihoods Fund Qatar Fund for Development Gates Foundation International tractors limited  Sadiq Hamman Dr Farouk Kurawa Moses Nongoatse BSc, MPR Albert Taru Dr Moshood Sulaiman Habib Zangina Diso Mariam Kikelomo Aliyu

Kano, Nigeria February 11, 2025 Since the launch of the KSADP project in Kano State in 2021, the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) has installed 51 Artificially Aerated Onion Storage facilities (AAOST) in onion-producing clusters. This initiative has significantly reduced post-harvest losses and increased profit margins for farmers. The facilities were provided at no cost to farmer groups, thanks to funding from the Kano State Government through the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF). Through the #KSADP project, SAA has demonstrated the effectiveness of the innovative solar-powered technology, with notable success stories emerging. For example, the Karfi-Yan Albasa Onion Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative Limited, led by Chairman Alhaji Bala Alo, reported earning over 17 million Naira (approximately 10,000 USD at 1600/1USD) in just two storage cycles of 300 bags in 2024. This success has enabled them to acquire land and plan for the construction of an additional AAOST facility. #AgricultureMatters #SustainabilityInAction #FoodSecurity #InnovationInAgriculture #FarmersFirst #RuralDevelopment #SolarPower #AgriculturalTechnology #EmpoweringFarmers #GlobalFoodSystems Mel Oluoch Dr. Godwin Atser Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Qatar Fund for Development Lives and Livelihoods Fund Gates Foundation African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) Moses Nongoatse BSc, MPR Sadiq Hamman Dr Moshood Sulaiman Albert Taru Ephraim Adams PMP®, CMP, DFAI Mariam Kikelomo Aliyu Aminu Gusau

Benue, Nigeria February 8, 2025 As part of our commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture, we have expanded our reach to Benue state, building on our successful pre-season training of trainers (ToT) on compost and biochar production and utilization in Jigawa, Gombe, and Nasarawa states. This exercise equips our field staff with the expertise to scale up these essential soil regenerative practices, empowering smallholder farmers with the knowledge and skills to adopt environmentally friendly farming methods. In the 2025 wet season, we plan to establish 360 community demonstration plots CDPs in six states (including Kano & Kwara), as farmer learning platforms to showcase regenerative agriculture and good agronomic practices, improve soil health, boost crop productivity, and enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Nigeria. Funded by the #NipponFoundation. #soilhealth #regenerativeagriculture #kano #jigawa #kwara #benue #nasarawa #gombe #nigeria #farners #africa #sustainability #food Mel Oluoch Dr. Godwin Atser Dr Moshood Sulaiman Aminu Gusau Mariam Kikelomo Aliyu Moses Nongoatse BSc, MPR Albert Taru Ephraim Adams PMP®, CMP, DFAI Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) Gates Foundation African Development Bank Group Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Lives and Livelihoods Fund