On July 24, 2025, the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), hosted an official side event of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9).

The webinar, titled “Scaling Agricultural Extension in Africa amid Emerging Technologies and Global Aid Shifts,” convened experts and practitioners to discuss practical and innovative approaches to agricultural extension in Africa, emphasizing digital innovation, inclusive leadership, and locally grounded solutions.

The full recording of the event is now available at the link below:
https://youtu.be/UOoQSvf_F6I

Webinar Event Page:
https://www.saa-safe.org/pastevents/ticad9-2025/ticad9-LP_en.html

■ Opening Remarks
Amit Roy – Chair, Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA)
Steven Were Omamo – Director of Strategy, Partnerships and Governance, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Lillian Lihasi – Executive Director, African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS)

■ Keynote Speech
“Rethinking Agricultural Extension in Africa in the Era of AI and the Reshaping of Global Aid”
Emmanuel Okogbenin – Director, Program Development & Commercialization, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF)

■ Special Presentation
“Scaling Agricultural Extension through AI: Opportunities and Emerging Pathways”
Eliot Jones-Garcia – Senior Research Analyst, IFPRI

■ Special Presentation
“Advancing Pluralistic and Digital Agricultural Extension in Africa”
Kristin Davis – Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI

■ Pluralistic Extension: Experiences and Lessons Learned
“Strengthening Agricultural Extension in Africa through Continental Initiatives and Local Innovations”
Rosemirta Birungi – Technical Lead, Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS), AFAAS

“A Successful Model of Pluralistic Agricultural Extension: Uganda’s Community-Based Facilitators (CCBF)”
Robert Anyang – Country Director, SAA Uganda

“Empowering Smallholder Farmers through Digital Agriculture, Innovation, and Public–Private Partnerships (PPP)”
Tawanda Hove – Senior Program Officer, Digital Agronomy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

■ Panel Discussion
Moderator: Mel Oluoch – Director, Strategic Partnerships Office, SAA
Panelists:
Tawanda Hove – Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Junji Koide – Senior Researcher, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)
Yenenesh Egu Bezabih – Executive Lead for Agriculture and Horticulture Extension, Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia

■ Closing Remarks
Shuichi Suzuki – President, Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA)

Speakers' presentation materials are available below.

Speakers materials TICAD9 SAA Side-event Webinar held on July 24th
Questions raised in Q&A Box during extension event_with answers by speakers