The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), through its Market-Oriented Agriculture (MOA) strategic intervention pillar and with support from The Nippon Foundation, has successfully concluded the 2025 Annual Farmer Organisation (FO) Exchange Visit at the Assakio Rice Value Chain Development Centre (RVCDC) in Lafia LGA, Nasarawa State.

This year, the fully funded SAA exchange visit gathered 55 farmer organisation leaders and 17 field staff from the Nippon Foundation–supported intervention states of Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Nasarawa, Kwara, and Benue.

The programme served as an immersive learning platform designed to strengthen the capacity of farmer organisations by exposing them to the operations of model groups thriving under SAA’s MOA extension approach.

The exchange visit is a long-standing and annual extension delivery methodology adopted by SAA to enable aspiring and growing farmer groups learn directly from established, high-performing organizations.

Participants spent the two-days exchanging ideas, sharing experiences, and exploring proven models that have helped host groups overcome challenges, expand their activities, and sustain profitable enterprises.

The approach also fosters teamwork, builds networks, and nurtures the inspiration needed for weaker and upcoming groups to grow into more impactful organisations.

This year’s host, the Apashi Woza Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited, was selected based on its impressive transformation following SAA support and the establishment of the MoFA-funded Assakio RVCDC.

The centre serves as a complete rice value chain hub, from production and aggregation to storage, processing, packaging, and marketing, making it a prime model for visiting farmer groups.

Its proximity to promising groups such as the Mu Yi Noma Women Farmers MPCS in Sabon Gida, its well-furnished meeting facilities, strong collective marketing structures, and its vibrant enterprise activities positioned it as an ideal host for the 2025 exchange programme.

Declaring the event open, Dr Godwin Atser, SAA Nigeria Country Director, represented by Mr. Jonathan Taknan Yassah, Program Officer, MOA, emphasized that the exchange visit was designed to expose participants to the opportunities and possibilities embedded in SAA’s Market-Oriented Agriculture approach.

He noted that the Assakio RVCDC has rapidly evolved into one of SAA’s most successful intervention sites in Africa, employing over 64 people and generating more than twelve million naira within a year.

He encouraged participants to carefully observe the systems, governance structures, and enterprise models that have set the Apashi Woza Cooperative on a path of sustainable prosperity.

The day’s activities included a comprehensive review of FO activities from the participating states, presentations of success stories, and a guided facility tour of the Assakio RVCDC, where participants interacted with processors, marketers, and cooperative leaders.

The visit also included engagements at the Assakio produce market, enabling participants to interact with market leaders, off-takers, and input dealers and to appreciate the broader ecosystem that supports rice value chain competitiveness in the region.

Speaking on behalf of the host state, Mrs. Salome Sabo, SAA Nasarawa State Coordinator, expressed pride in the progress made by farmer organizations in the state and the role of the Assakio RVCDC as a learning hub.

“We are delighted to welcome FO leaders from across the country to Assakio. What you see here today is the result of commitment, collaboration, and continuous capacity building. We hope the lessons learned will inspire you to strengthen your organizations and replicate these successes back home,” she said.

Participants also shared their impressions of the learning experience. Alice Dahiru, leader of the Mirmu Women Farmers MPCS from Gombe State, described the visit as eye-opening.

“Seeing how the Apashi Woza Cooperative has grown gives me confidence that our group can achieve similar results. I learned practical strategies on collective marketing and enterprise management that I will take back to my members,” she noted.

From Jigawa State, Umar Dilyari, Leader of Dilyari Rice Farmers, Dilyari, Kirikasama LGA, Jigawa State praised the hands-on nature of the visit. “This experience has changed the way I think about farming. The idea of treating our FO as a business is now clearer than ever.

The success stories we heard today have motivated me to push for better record-keeping, diversification, and stronger teamwork in my cooperative,” he noted.

Mza Tyom, Leader of Agayo youth MPCS Ltd from Cheedu Community, Gwer East LGA of Benue State, highlighted the impact of the value chain demonstration.

“What impressed me most was the complete structure of the RVCDC. From production to processing and marketing, everything works together to create value. This is exactly the kind of model we need to improve rice production and profitability in Benue,” he said.

The 2025 exchange visit concluded with renewed enthusiasm among the farmer leaders, who expressed commitment to applying the lessons learned and developing action plans that would strengthen their enterprise activities and overall organisational growth.

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