Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) says Nigeria spends 10 billion dollars on the importation of wheat, rice, sugar, fish, and tomato paste despite government efforts to transform the agricultural sector.

The SAA Nigeria Country Director,  Godwin Atser, said this at the 2026 Annual Stakeholders Workshop and celebration of SAA’s 40th anniversary on Thursday in Abuja.

The SAA aims to increase farmers’ income and food and nutrition security through promoting market-oriented, sustainable, resilient, regenerative and nutrition-sensitive agricultural innovations and build the capacity of extension agents and farmers.

The workshop had as its theme: “SAA @ 40: Deepening Impact and Expanding Reach at Scale.”

Mr Atser said the challenge was due to the country’s low production capacity to meet local demand.

He said there was a need to make the right technologies available to farmers through effective extension and advisory services.

According to him, available data showed that Nigeria has one extension agent to 10,000 farmers, a situation, he said was grossly inadequate to transform our agricultural sector.

Mr Atser said the workshop was a high-level event meant to reflect on the organisation’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan and chart the way forward for agricultural development in Nigeria.

“SAA has been supporting agricultural transformation in Nigeria for 33 years, contributing to improved productivity, enhanced livelihoods, and strengthened extension systems.

“This workshop is not merely ceremonial. It is a strategic and data-rich forum for reflection, accountability, and knowledge sharing,” he said.

Mr Atser said the meeting would provide a critical platform to redefine stakeholders’ ambition and also the opportunity to exchange ideas, share lessons, and align strategies for greater coherence and collective impact.

According to him, every year, SAA chose a theme to guide its conversations, saying the themes reflect current and emerging challenges to help situate their interventions and redouble energies on regenerative agriculture practices, markets and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.

He said that 2026 captured both the essence of SAA achievements and the imperative that lies ahead.

“While we take pride in the progress made over the years, we are equally mindful of the evolving challenges confronting the agricultural sector, including climate variability, population pressures, and shifting economic realities.

“The mission of Sasakawa is to empower smallholder farmers with knowledge, technologies, markets and inclusive extension systems to achieve sustainable food, nutrition and income security for resilient and thriving livestock,” he said

In a keynote, ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Suzuki Hideo, said Nigeria’s agriculture was underpinned by millions of smallholder farmers who constitute the backbone of food security and rural livelihoods.

Mr Hideo’s address was titled, “The Role of the Private Sector in Agricultural Development in Nigeria.:

He said that agriculture employs about 34 per cent of the labour force and contributes 25 per cent to the nation’s GDP.

He said that advancing mechanisation, reducing post-harvest losses and strengthening links to markets were crucial to raising Nigeria’s inherent productivity.

The ambassador said for the past 40 years SAA has been working tirelessly to help maximise Nigeria’s agricultural production capacity.

He said, “The organisation’s unwavering commitment and innovative approaches have significantly transformed the agricultural landscape.” 

(NAN)