TICAD8 Official Side Event by Sasakawa Africa Association

Video Message

Commissioner Josepha Sacko, African Union, Dr. Beth Dunford, Vice President, Africa Development Bank, Dr. Johan Swinnen, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute, Dr. Silim Nahdy, Executive Director, African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services, Hon Prof. Ruth Oniang’o, Chair, Sasakawa Africa Association, and distinguished participants.

“One World One Family.” This is the guiding principle of The Nippon Foundation that underpins all our global humanitarian activities. We see the world as one family, and based on this philosophy, our support rises above politics, religion, nation states and borders. In answer to the nineteen eighty-four famine in Ethiopia, my father, the late Ryoichi Sasakawa called on Nobel Peace Prize laureate and leader of Green Revolution Dr. Norman Borlaug and the former president of the United States Mr.Jimmy Carter to provide an increased food production program for the smallholder farmers who are the mainstay of African agriculture. This was the start of the way for farmers to become self-sustainable and improve their standard of living. This is how SAA was born. It is a totally field-oriented association based on the principle of “Walking with the Farmer.” We have to this day actively worked under the ethos of always being with the farmers “in place, feeling and perspective.”

Thirty-six years have passed since SAA was founded and agriculture has evolved globally. Today, the key to its further transformation is multidimensional and digitally-enabled agricultural extension. For example, SAA is promoting the “e-Extension Platform” approach for the first time in Africa. This is to be able to close the information gap between smallholder farmers and their stakeholders along the agricultural value chain by utilizing ICT. It is my hope that SAA will continue their study and research in advanced technologies of different countries for the further advancement of agriculture in Africa. For that I have high expectations of achieving concrete results through the MOU we have concluded this year with International Food Policy Research Institute and African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services.          

The Nippon Foundation will continue to support SAA and its principle of “Walking with the Farmer” into the future. Together, let us promote the implementation of multidimensional and digitally-enabled agricultural extension services by taking into full consideration and respect for socioeconomic status of the farmers so as to arrive at a more enriched and productive Africa. No matter what difficulties we face, I promise to continue to address the food crisis in Africa, in the spirit of “Never Give Up.” Thank you.

*This video message is available at The Nippon Foundation YouTube.