How Sasakawa Helped Rewire Kano’s Agriculture
By Nana Aisha Muhammad
KANO – The close-out workshop of the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) Crop Value Chain Component, implemented by the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), offered a moment of stock-taking for government officials, development partners and farmers on what five years of coordinated agricultural investment has delivered for Kano State.
Held in Kano, the workshop brought together representatives of the state government, the KSADP Project Management Unit, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Lives and Livelihoods Fund (LLF), traditional leaders, private sector actors and the media. The gathering marked the formal conclusion of SAA’s role in implementing the crop value chain component of the project.
In his welcome address, the Country Director of Sasakawa Africa Association in Nigeria, Dr. Godwin Atser, described the intervention as one of the most significant public-private development partnerships in the state’s agricultural sector. He disclosed that the crop value chain component attracted an investment of about 19.3 million dollars, complemented by an additional 12.3 million dollars for mass mechanisation support across Kano State.
Dr. Atser said the project, which commenced in 2020, was conceived at a time when smallholder farmers were grappling with low productivity, weak extension services, limited access to quality inputs and high post-harvest losses. He noted that SAA was engaged to deploy its experience in agricultural extension and value chain development to help reverse these trends.
According to him, interventions under KSADP focused on strengthening public extension systems, promoting climate-smart agriculture, improving access to certified seeds, expanding mechanisation and reducing post-harvest losses. Structured market linkages were also developed to ensure that productivity gains translated into improved incomes for farmers.
Project data presented at the workshop showed that over 477,000 farmers across all 44 local government areas of Kano State were reached with improved technologies and advisory services. Yield increases of between 150 and 226 per cent were recorded across major crops, while post-harvest losses were reduced significantly. Average farmer income reportedly rose to about ₦972,462 per hectare.
Beyond productivity figures, speakers at the event highlighted the social impact of the project, particularly the inclusion of women and youth. More than 100,000 women and young people were reportedly integrated into production, processing and agribusiness activities, contributing to job creation and livelihood diversification in rural communities.
Representatives of the Kano State Government and development partners, including IsDB and LLF, commended the level of coordination and accountability recorded during project implementation. They stressed that the sustainability of the gains achieved would depend largely on the state’s ability to maintain funding, retain skilled extension personnel and deepen private sector participation.
Traditional and community leaders present at the workshop also acknowledged the impact of the project at the grassroots, noting improvements in farming practices and market awareness among rural farmers. However, some participants called for continued support in areas such as access to finance, irrigation and rural infrastructure to consolidate the gains recorded.
As the KSADP Crop Value Chain Component formally draws to a close, stakeholders agreed that the workshop should not mark an end, but a transition. With systems strengthened and partnerships established, the consensus was that Kano State now has a stronger platform to scale agricultural transformation and build a more resilient, inclusive and market-oriented agricultural economy.
