{"id":18463,"date":"2026-06-20T13:05:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T13:05:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/nigeria-takes-a-decisive-step-toward-smarter-fertilizer-use-and-healthier-soils\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T16:45:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T16:45:53","slug":"nigeria-takes-a-decisive-step-toward-smarter-fertilizer-use-and-healthier-soils","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/nigeria-takes-a-decisive-step-toward-smarter-fertilizer-use-and-healthier-soils\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria takes a decisive step toward smarter fertilizer use and healthier soils"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"(l)<\/a>
(l) Senator Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Dr Simeon Ehui with the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and Permanent Secretary, Dr Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi (m).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nSoil health remains a critical pillar of food security and sustainable agriculture in West Africa and Sahel. This was a fundamental highlight of the Lom\u00e9 Declaration 2023, where maintaining and restoring soil fertility was deemed essential to meeting the food needs of a rapidly growing and urbanizing population. Across the region, preserving soil fertility, restoring degraded lands, and improving soil nutrition are central to achieving food sovereignty and reducing hunger.\n\n
\"(L-R)<\/a>
(L-R) Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, IITA DDG Dr Abdoulaye Tahirou, and Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nPositioning itself at the forefront of this agenda, Nigeria has taken decisive steps to secure a food-secure future by confronting a long-standing challenge in its agricultural system. The lack of precise soil information has, over the years, contributed to declining soil health, low yields, inefficient fertilizer use, and rising production costs, and these challenges can only be addressed through science, data, and sustained technical collaboration.\n\n
\"The<\/a>
The MoU signing session.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nAgainst this backdrop, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) and the IITA<\/a>\u2013CGIAR<\/a> have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance soil health, improve fertilizer efficiency, and boost farm productivity in Nigeria. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, described soil health as the foundation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu\u2019s food security agenda. He noted that beyond food availability and affordability, the administration is equally focused on nutritional quality and safety.\n\n\u201cIf the soil is not healthy, no matter the effort, the desired results cannot be achieved,\u201d the minister said.\n\nThe MoU was signed by IITA Director General, Dr Simeon Ehui, and Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi. The agreement supports the implementation of the Nigeria Farmers Soil Health Scheme (NFSHS) and the development of a national soil information system. All activities under the MoU will be implemented through the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel, hosted by IITA.\n\n\u201cThe Regional Hub is designed to be the technical backbone of soil health and fertilizer use for West Africa and the Sahel,\u201d said Dr Ehui. \u201cWith Nigeria\u2019s Soil Health Initiative, the Hub gains a visible champion that elevates soil health from a technical agenda to a political one. It creates demand and urgency for the Hub\u2019s outputs\u2014from digital soil maps and fertilizer recommendations to laboratory standards. Nigeria\u2019s example shows how regional cooperation can deliver tangible national benefits.\u201d\n\nDr Ehui described the partnership as both a policy and delivery commitment, aimed at replacing generalized fertilizer advice with data-driven, location-specific recommendations tailored to farmers\u2019 realities.\n\nThe MoU deepens collaboration between IITA, a leading research-for-development institution addressing hunger, poverty, and land degradation, and FMAFS, Nigeria\u2019s lead agency for agricultural productivity and food security policy. Together, the institutions will tackle persistent soil fertility constraints and fertilizer inefficiencies through advanced technologies, applied research, and regional expertise.\n\nThe agreement builds on the Nigeria Farmers Soil Health Scheme, launched on 14 October 2025, which promotes precise soil testing and crop-specific recommendations to support sustainable intensification and climate-resilient farming systems nationwide. Through the Regional Hub, IITA serves on the National Technical Committee, supporting FMAFS in translating soil health policy into practical, scalable action.\n\n\u201cIITA, through the Regional Hub, is actively engaged with FMAFS\u2014at the strategic level, shaping national plans, and at the ground level, where soil sampling is underway and fertilizers adapted to crops such as maize and rice are being developed,\u201d said Lionel Axel Kadja, Director of the Regional Hub. \u201cWe remain committed to generating agricultural innovations that combat malnutrition, poverty, and hunger across Africa.\u201d\n\nLaunched in 2024 as a sub-program of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and hosted by IITA in Ibadan, the Regional Hub brings together a strong consortium of partners, including IFDC, OCP Africa, the African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), and ISRIC \u2013 World Soil Information. The Hub receives financial support from the World Bank through CGIAR\u2019s Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project, as well as from OCP Africa.\n\nAccording to Dr Ehui, the partnership will deliver crop- and location-specific fertilizer recommendations for key staples such as maize and rice. It will enhance the application of Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) and the 4Rs of nutrient stewardship\u2014right source, right rate, right time, and right place. It will also strengthen laboratory standards, expand digital soil information systems, build national capacity, and establish monitoring frameworks to track results.\n\n\u201cThe real test of this MoU will be outcomes\u2014healthier soils, higher fertilizer use efficiency, stronger national capacity, and accelerated progress toward food security,\u201d he said.\n\nEmphasizing that the partnership is to support the objectives of the recently launched Nigeria Farmers Soil Health Scheme, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi explained that the scheme is designed to remove guesswork from farming. \u201cBased on science, different soil types are suited to different crops and require different nutrient management approaches. This scheme equips farmers with the data they need to make informed decisions\u2014what to plant, where to plant, and how to fertilize,\u201d he said.\n\nThe partnership will also support fertilizer manufacturers by providing the data needed to produce crop-specific and location-specific blends, while strengthening institutional capacity within the Ministry and across soil health agencies. By expanding access to soil testing and diagnostics, the initiative lays the foundation for precision agriculture, enabling farmers to apply exactly what crops need, where they need it, and when they need it\u2014reducing costs, improving yields, and restoring soil health.\n

About the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel is a collaborative initiative that brings together leading research, development, and private-sector partners to deliver science-driven solutions for sustainable agriculture. Hosted by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and supported by organizations including the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), OCP Africa, the African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI), University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), and ISRIC \u2013 World Soil Information, the Hub leverages data, soil testing, and fertilizer technologies to enhance productivity, efficiency, and resilience across regional food systems. With financial backing from the World Bank through CGIAR\u2019s AICCRA project and OCP Africa, the Hub is committed to translating research into actionable solutions for farmers and policymakers, promoting long-term soil health, food security, and sustainable development for West Africa and the Sahel.\n\nMore information can be found at https:\/\/soilhealthwa.iita.org\/<\/a>.\n\nContributed by Ilerioluwa Oladipupo<\/em>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Soil health remains a critical pillar of food security and sustainable agriculture in West Africa and Sahel.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":18464,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[],"science-area":[],"program":[],"location":[32],"news-type":[],"hub":[61],"crop":[],"impact-areas":[],"item-year":[204],"class_list":["post-18463","news-item","type-news-item","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","location-nigeria","hub-western-africa","item-year-204"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-item\/18463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-item"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news-item"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-item\/18463\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19364,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-item\/18463\/revisions\/19364"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18463"},{"taxonomy":"science-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/science-area?post=18463"},{"taxonomy":"program","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/program?post=18463"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=18463"},{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=18463"},{"taxonomy":"hub","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hub?post=18463"},{"taxonomy":"crop","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/crop?post=18463"},{"taxonomy":"impact-areas","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/impact-areas?post=18463"},{"taxonomy":"item-year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/item-year?post=18463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}