Benue Bureau Drives Agricultural Transformation

The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) has commended the Benue State Bureau for Agricultural Development and Mechanisation for its sustained support and partnership in driving agricultural development in the state.

The country director of SAA, Dr Godwin Atser, gave the commendation when he led a team on a courtesy visit to the acting director-general of the bureau, Dooshima Zaki, in Makurdi.

Atser, who was represented by the technical coordinator, Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems, Nathaniel Otene, said the association has enjoyed a robust working relationship with the bureau since it commenced operations in Benue three years ago.

He said the partnership has enabled SAA to scale interventions to strengthen the agricultural sector and improve farmers’ livelihoods across the state.

According to him, “SAA’s interventions are built around three key pillars: climate resilience; safe, adequate and nutritious food and inclusive markets and agribusiness.

Atser explained that the model is designed to cover the entire agricultural value chain, from production to processing, marketing and other related activities.

He expressed appreciation to the Bureau for its cooperation and support, stressing that effective collaboration among agricultural development institutions is critical to achieving sustainable food production.

Responding, the Acting Director-General, Benue State Bureau for Agricultural Development and Mechanisation, Zaki, described SAA’s presence in Benue as a significant development, noting that the organisation has introduced valuable agricultural innovations that could contribute to the state’s agricultural transformation.

She said the state government remains committed to agriculture, stressing that the sector is one of the administration’s major priorities.

Zaki pledged the Bureau’s continued partnership with SAA, saying that stronger collaboration between the two organisations will be pursued for the benefit of farmers and the wider population, and expressing optimism that the partnership will contribute to improving agricultural productivity, strengthening food security, and advancing the state’s agricultural development agenda.