Sasakawa Africa Association

What Sasakawa Africa Association does

Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1986 by Nobel laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and Ryoichi Sasakawa in response to the Horn of Africa famine. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan with a Strategic Partnership Office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, SAA delivers agricultural extension and capacity-building services to smallholder farmers across four primary operating countries — Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mali, and Uganda — with active expansion into Senegal. The organization serves as a non-profit implementing partner rather than a commercial vendor, charging no fees to farmer beneficiaries; its operating budget is sustained through international development grants and donations from institutional funders including The Nippon Foundation, the Gates Foundation, the Islamic Development Bank, the African Development Bank, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and AGRA. SAA's service portfolio is organized around three strategic pillars (Regenerative Agriculture, Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture, and Market-Oriented Agriculture) plus three cross-cutting priorities (Capacity Building, Inclusiveness, and Digitalization), operationalized through country offices, training of trainers (ToT) programs, demonstration plots, farmer field schools, and nine Production, Post-Harvest, Training, and Trading Centers (PHTCs) in Mali.

SAA's underlying technology stack includes the NPPP-AI-DAP AI-enabled digital advisory platform (Gates Foundation-funded, deployed in Gombe, Oyo, and Kaduna states in Nigeria), the e-Kakashi AI system from SoftBank for rice cultivation decarbonization, the Amplio Talking Book audio device for low-literacy farmer communication, CAPI digital data collection platforms, and proprietary agronomic technologies such as Urea Super Granules (USG/'Bombom') for methane-reducing rice fertilization. Notable contracts include a USD 21.31 million sub-grant under the USD 90 million Islamic Development Bank-funded Kano State Agropastoral Development Project (KSADP) in Nigeria and a Government of Japan PHRDG II-funded rice productivity project covering 12,000 hectares in Benin Republic. The organization launched its 2026-2030 Strategic Plan in May 2026, realigning around climate-resilient agrifood systems, inclusive markets and agribusiness development, and safe, adequate and nutritious food systems.

The organization's go-to-market is relationship-led rather than sales-led: country directors (Nigeria: Dr. Godwin Atser; Uganda: Robert Anyang; Mali: Baou Diane) secure government, multilateral, and foundation partnerships, then deliver services through in-country field staff, university partners (Mekelle, Makerere, Bayero Kano, Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture), and an embedded network of 374 SAFE-program graduates released into national extension systems since 2012. Quantified farmer outcomes include up to 57% yield increases in teff, 56% in maize, and 23% in wheat through Ethiopia's agro-dealership program, FCFA 57.3 million (~USD 96,624) in microfinance loans accessed by 21 Mali cooperatives, and USD 1.7 million unlocked for Karamoja smallholders through digital finance.

Name

Sasakawa Africa Association

Legal name

Sasakawa Africa Association

Website

https://saa-safe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sasakawa Africa Association is a Tokyo-based international agricultural development NGO, founded in 1986, that delivers regenerative agriculture, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and market-oriented extension services to smallholder farmers across Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mali, and Uganda, funded by grants from The Nippon Foundation, Gates Foundation, IsDB, and AfDB.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Development Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH), Carbon, Sustainability & Farm Certification Support (Agro-Environmental Advisory) (AFACABAL)

Keywords

• Agricultural extension services
• Smallholder farmer support
• Regenerative agriculture
• Nutrition-sensitive agriculture
• Market-oriented agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. International Development Grants and Donations: SAA operates as a non-governmental organization primarily funded by international development grants and donations from foundations and governments. Key funders include The Nippon Foundation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Gates Foundation, the Government of Japan (PHRDG II), and the Islamic Development Bank.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1986 that delivers agricultural extension services, training, and capacity-building programs to smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa. Its core offerings center on three focus areas: regenerative agriculture, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and market-oriented agriculture, supported by digital advisory platforms and on-the-ground field operations in Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria, and Uganda.

Product overview

Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) is an international NGO established in 1986 that works with smallholder farmers across Africa. Rather than a unified technology product, SAA offers a portfolio of agricultural development services and programs organized around three strategic focus areas: Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems, Inclusive Markets and Agri-business Development, and Safe, Adequate & Nutritious Food Systems. Key services include agricultural extension advisory, regenerative agriculture programs, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, market-oriented agriculture capacity building, and digital advisory platforms like the AI-powered NPPP-AI-DAP system in Nigeria. SAA also operates Production, Post-Harvest, Training, and Trading Centers (PHTCs) and maintains e-libraries with publications and knowledge resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services
• NPPP-AI-DAP (Nigeria Public-Private Partnership AI-Enabled Digital Advisory Planning)
• Regenerative Agriculture Programs
• Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Programs
• Market-Oriented Agriculture Programs
• SAFE (Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education) Capacity Building Program
• Production, Post-Harvest, Training, and Trading Centers (PHTCs)
• School Feeding Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 57% yield increase in teff, 56% in maize, 23% in wheat through Agro-dealership Program in Ethiopia
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IFDC (International Fertilizer Development Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ISSD-Sahel (Integrated Seed Sector Development in the Sahel) project alongside ICRISAT and KIT, implementing Business Development Services for cooperatives in Mali.
• ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ISSD-Sahel project focused on improving seed sector development in the Sahel region through integrated approaches with cooperatives and seed companies.
• KIT (Royal Tropical Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ISSD-Sahel project contributing technical expertise in cooperative development and business services.
• IITA/TAAT (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture / Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the Evidence-Based Regenerative Agriculture to Address Climate Change in Africa Project, delivering capacity building on regenerative agriculture and post-harvest management for rice production in Nigeria.
• Africa Rice (PAN Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical partner in multi-stakeholder capacity building training on regenerative agriculture and post-harvest management in rice production across Nigerian states.
• AATF (African Agricultural Technology Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in delivering regenerative agriculture and post-harvest management training, contributing technical expertise to rice production improvement initiatives.
• AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAA collaborates with AGRA on various agricultural development initiatives including the RE-GAIN Project in Ethiopia's Amhara region for reducing post-harvest losses in teff and wheat.
• World Food Programme (WFP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on the Fortified Whole Grain Initiative and school feeding programs in Karamoja, Uganda. SAA Uganda also collaborates with WFP on a larger school feeding program across 40 schools in Karamoja.
• SNV Netherlands Development OrganisationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAA partners with SNV on the RA-PURE Nexus Project in Sidama and South Ethiopia regions.
• IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing climate-resilient inputs and climate information services in conflict-affected areas of Ethiopia's Amhara Region to strengthen community resilience.
• BASICS-II (Building an Sustainable Seed System in Africa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in cassava seed value chain development in Nigeria, with SAA implementing components of the project in Nasarawa State.
• FWGA (Farmwise Africa / Billene Consult)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in agricultural development initiatives in Ethiopia, contributing to partnerships and resource mobilization efforts.
• JIRCAS (Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the TERRA Africa Project, demonstrating fallow bands for combating wind and water erosion in the Sahel region of Mali.
• HarvestPlusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in introducing biofortified crops (iron-rich beans, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes) to farmers in Uganda to combat Vitamin A and Iron deficiency.
• GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Fortified Whole Grain Initiative, working to transform school meals with fortified whole grains in Karamoja, Uganda.
• Makerere University (Department of Food Technology & Nutrition)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Fortified Whole Grain Initiative, contributing expertise in food technology and nutrition for school feeding programs in Karamoja.
• Mekelle University (Ethiopia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner since 2012 in the SAFE (Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education) program, hosting student-led Supervised Enterprise Projects in Tigray region. Has released 374 graduates to the agricultural sector.
• Mountain of the Moon University (MMU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Rwenzori Agroecology Project (AEP11), focusing on regenerative agriculture, e-extension tools, and ICT integration in agricultural education.
• AFAAS (African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvening partner for the NPPP-AI-DAP Project, bringing together public institutions and private-sector expertise to transform agricultural advisory service delivery in Nigeria.
• Extension AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntermediary partner and product owner for the AI-enabled digital advisory platform, supporting platform development and deployment.
• Africa PracticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the NPPP-AI-DAP Project, facilitating state-level engagement and coordination in Nigeria.
• Sahel ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the NPPP-AI-DAP Project, supporting state-level engagement and implementation in Nigeria.
• GAP Initiative (Grow Africa Partnership)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAA's Agro-dealership Program in Ethiopia was featured in the GAP 2024 Report, highlighting successful interventions across 25 districts and 115 kebeles.
• NARO (National Agricultural Research Organization, Uganda)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in establishing seed production hubs at selected schools in Karamoja, Uganda, producing certified seed for local markets.
• NARO (National Agricultural Research Organization, Uganda)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in seed production activities supporting school feeding and agricultural programs in Karamoja.
• Government of BenincoreOthersGovernment of Benin through the Ministry of Agriculture is the implementing partner for the rice decarbonization project, providing institutional support and policy alignment.
• Government of Mali (DNA - Direction Nationale de l'Agriculture)coreOthersJoint supervision missions conducted annually with DNA to evaluate demonstration plots and identify challenges and opportunities in Mali's agricultural zones.
• Government of Niger (Ministry of Agriculture)minorOthersSupported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Niger alongside The Nippon Foundation and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
• Napak District Government (Uganda)coreOthersLocal government partner for the five-year school feeding initiative in Karamoja, with strong commitment demonstrated at district and national levels.
• Government of UgandacoreOthersMinistry of Education and Sports participates in the National Technical School Feeding Committee, with Uganda developing a national School Feeding Policy.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• One Acre Fund: One Acre Fund is a direct peer in serving smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa with bundled inputs, training, financing, and market access — a comparable service-bundle model to SAA, though operating through a direct farmer-repayment model rather than donor-funded extension.
• TechnoServe: TechnoServe works with smallholder farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs across Africa and other emerging markets, with a comparable NGO model of combining training, market linkages, and capacity building for value chain development.
• Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA): AGRA is a direct peer and existing SAA partner that funds and implements smallholder-focused agricultural development programs across Africa — including joint RE-GAIN Project work in Ethiopia's Amhara region — sharing SAA's value-chain transformation focus.
• Self Help Africa: Self Help Africa (now merged with Gorta Group as 'United Against Poverty') works with smallholder farmers and cooperatives across Sub-Saharan Africa on food security, market access, and enterprise development — directly comparable to SAA's market-oriented agriculture focus.
• Farm Africa: Farm Africa operates agricultural development and sustainable farming programs in Eastern Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) with a focus on smallholders, climate-smart agriculture, and market access — highly comparable to SAA's Ethiopian and Ugandan operations.
• Heifer International: Heifer International supports smallholder farmers across Africa and globally with livestock, training, and value chain development — a comparable NGO model with overlapping smallholder-agriculture and capacity-building themes, though with a livestock emphasis.
• SNV Netherlands Development Organisation: SNV is an existing SAA partner (RA-PURE Nexus Project in Ethiopia) and a direct peer operating agricultural development and value chain programs across Africa with a comparable NGO delivery model, including work in Mali, Ethiopia, and Uganda.

Broad incumbents

• CARE International: CARE is a broad-incumbent peer operating large-scale food security, agriculture, and nutrition programs across multiple African countries with similar smallholder focus and donor base — comparable as a humanitarian/development peer, though with a much broader mandate beyond agriculture.
• Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is a broad-incumbent peer delivering agricultural development and food security programming across many of the same African geographies as SAA, with overlapping funder base and multi-country country office footprint, though with a wider humanitarian mandate.

Others

• World Food Programme (WFP): WFP is an existing SAA partner on school feeding in Karamoja and the Fortified Whole Grain Initiative — a UN agency adjacent to SAA's school feeding work and a key ecosystem counterparty for the integrated smallholder-to-school feeding model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/saa_safe
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SAAChannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/Sasakawa-Africa-Association-352578084771870
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sasakawa-africa-association-saa-
• Instagraminstagram.com/saa_safe_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Sasakawa Africa Association