Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) to drive agricultural transformation in the state.

Mr Sule made this commitment on Thursday in Abuja at an annual stakeholders’ workshop organised by SAA Nigeria.

The event is titled, ‘Transforming the Agricultural Landscape through Digital Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services.’

The workshop brought together key players in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, including federal and state agriculture ministry representatives.

Also in attendance were representatives from Agricultural Development Programmes, educational institutions, digital extension providers, and farmer organisations.

Mr Sule noted that over 60 per cent of the state’s population was engaged in agriculture. He emphasised that Nasarawa is leveraging the strength to establish itself as Nigeria’s agricultural hub.

“Agriculture is crucial to Nasarawa, and we have made significant investments to boost its development. While the state is also rich in minerals, we are still working to fully harness those resources. Our partnership with Sasakawa has been invaluable, and we will continue to work closely with them,” Mr Sule said.

He praised SAA’s efforts in Nasarawa, particularly the establishment of two rice value chain development centres funded by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

Mr Sule said the centres, located in Assakio (Lafia LGA) and Agwatashi (Obi LGA), are revolutionising rice production, processing, and marketing in the state.

The governor highlighted that the facilities include storage, processing, transportation, and training centres for rice cooperatives.

President of SAA, Makoto Kitanaka, reaffirmed the association’s commitment to working with farmers, governments, and stakeholders to achieve a food-secure Africa.

Mr Kitanaka said the workshop’s theme aligns with SAA’s increasing focus on digital extension services and climate-smart technologies to boost productivity and sustainability.

Also, Godwin Atser, SAA Nigeria Country Director, described digital tools as essential for bridging gaps, empowering stakeholders, and ensuring critical knowledge reaches those who need it most.

He emphasised that collaboration is key to effective digital solutions.

“This workshop provides an opportunity for policymakers, industry leaders, farmers, service providers, researchers, and end-users to exchange insights and develop strategies for inclusive digital extension services,” he said. 

(NAN)