The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, (FMAFS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), to roll out a nationwide soil health and fertilizer efficiency programme aimed at raising farm productivity and cutting input costs.
The agreement is designed to support food sovereignty by improving soil quality, boosting fertilizer use efficiency and introducing data driven farming decisions across Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, a statement by the Mnistry on Friday, indicated.
Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said the partnership would give farmers precise recommendations on fertilizer use and crop selection based on soil data.
“This is expected to improve yields while reducing waste and unnecessary spending on inputs”, he said.
The initiative forms part of the Presidential Soil Health Scheme and the wider Renewed Hope for Food Security and Sovereignty Agenda.
Also speaking, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Minister of State for a
Agriculture and Food Security, said the collaboration would focus on three commercial pillars, including improved land management and climate services; national capacity building through applied research and soil data systems; and a scalable model for regional adoption within ECOWAS.
A key component of the programme is the planned establishment of soil testing laboratories across all 774 Local Government Areas. The labs will allow farmers to submit soil samples and receive tailored recommendations, reducing guesswork and improving return on investment for fertilizer spending.
From a business perspective, the soil testing network could stimulate demand for local laboratory services, digital advisory platforms and precision agriculture tools, while improving efficiency across fertilizer distribution and usage.
Simeon Ehui Director-General, IITA said the agreement would strengthen the Nigeria Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme and the National Soil Information System. Implementation will be coordinated through the Regional Hub of Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel hosted by IITA.
The programme will initially focus on major staples including rice, maize, sorghum, wheat and yam. It will deliver location specific fertilizer recommendations, integrated soil fertility management and upgraded laboratory and digital soil information standards.
IITA will provide research support, technical expertise, training, soil testing services and monitoring frameworks. The goal is to deliver measurable gains in soil health, fertilizer efficiency and national agricultural capacity.
Analysts say improved fertilizer efficiency could lower production costs for farmers, stabilize output for food processors and reduce pressure on foreign exchange used for fertilizer imports over time.
The memorandum was signed in Abuja by officials of the ministry and IITA, marking a step towards more data driven and commercially sustainable agriculture in Nigeria.
