Minister flags off soil matters initiative to restore Nigeria’s degraded farmlands
Omeiza Bilal
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) in collaboration Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Gates Foundation has flagged off the soil matters initiative aimed at restoring degraded farmlands improve fertilizer efficiency, climate smart resilience and achieve food sovereignty.
Speaking at the launch workshop held in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi stated that the initiative is part of a broader “Renewed Hope” agenda to achieve food sovereignty and rehabilitate Nigeria’s agricultural ecosystem.
Sen. Dr. Sabi Abdullahi said that the programme aims among others, to make soil health a viable business opportunity for young and female entrepreneurs in the Agriculture sector.
He revealed that it also plans to establish 774 soil laboratories across all Local Government Areas and train 10,000 youth as “Soil Doctors” program to train 10,000 young extension agents in digital soil advisory services by 2027 for the restoration of Nigeria’s degraded farmlands.
According to him, ‘’ under the Nigerian Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme (NFSHS), developed with GIZ, ACReSAL World Bank, Soil Values, AGRA, Sasakawa Africa Association, and IITA Regional-Hub, every LGA will have access to soil testing services’’.
Dr. Abdullahi pointed out that’’ farmers will receive Soil Health Cards with crop- and site-specific fertilizer recommendations to prevent indiscriminate applications, encourage precision agriculture, minimize greenhouse gas emissions, and endorse climate-smart practices, Farmers need to understand their soil before they can cultivate it,”.
He stressed that “our objective under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is unequivocal: to enhance productivity, nourish 220 million Nigerians, establish agriculture as a catalyst for employment and wealth, and transform Nigeria into a net food exporter, Achieving any of this is impossible without healthy, living soils.”
The Minister explained that the Ministry’s partnership with GIZ has progressed from pilot projects to large-scale implementations which includes: ProSoil – Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security which began in Nigeria in 2015 with the rehabilitation of approximately 166,000 hectares of land resulting in an average yield increase of 40% for smallholders and training of More than 280,000 smallholders in integrated soil fertility management across Benue, Ebonyi, Ogun, and other regions.
The Minister stated further that the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative is also being revised to focus on soil-specific NPK blends tailored to agro-ecological zones, aimed at minimizing waste and lowering costs for smallholder farmers. In addition, the Ministry will mainstream carbon farming incentives so farmers can earn from stewardship of their land.
He recalled the launch of the Nigerian Soil Information System (NiSIS) and the Coalition of Willing (CoW) in collaboration with IITA Regional-Hub last year.
“NiSIS will serve as the digital backbone for mapping soils in all 774 LGAs, providing farmers, researchers, and blenders with real-time information on soil properties, nutrient content, and management recommendations while the CoW unites government entities, the private sector, farmers, researchers, and blenders to exchange knowledge and resources aimed at enhancing soil health.
He commended GIZ for prioritizing soil health within Nigeria’s agricultural transformation agenda.
Dr. Abdullahi called on State Governments to domesticate the National Soil Policy, stressing, “No soil, no food. No food, no peace.” To researchers, he urged the translation of science into simple tools that farmers can use immediately.
He also urged development partners to align investments around soil as a national asset and linking soil health to markets, finance, and youth enterprises.
Addressing farmers directly, he said, “The future of your land is in your hands. Adopt practices that build, not mine, the soil.”
“As the saying goes, ‘A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.’ Nigeria will not be that nation,” the Minister concluded. “With commitment, science, and partnerships, we will restore our soils, deepen our impact, and secure food for generations.”
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi said that ‘This occasion is significant because it marks another transition for the execution of the Nigeria Farmers Soil Health Scheme (NFSHS). It is an effective and efficient management of Nigeria’s soils toward increased agricultural productivity for food security’’.
Dr. Ogunbiyi pointed out that ‘’ we are reminded that the future of food security in Nigeria depends significantly on how well we manage, restore, and preserve the health of our soils. Healthy soils are essential for increased agricultural productivity, improved crop nutrition, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable livelihoods for millions of Nigerian farmers’’.
He emphasized that Nigeria’s agricultural transformation agenda cannot be fully realised without deliberate investment in sustainable soil management
During his presentation on Soil matters in a Nutshell, the Project Manager, GP Soil Matters, Dr. Erkossa Teklu said that the Initiative would enhance soil health management and agricultural productivity in Nigeria through strong stakeholder coordination, Improved Soil Information Systems and Evidence-based decision-making.
He revealed that the target beneficiaries includes Farmers (men , women and Youths), extension agents, policymakers, planners, researchers, academic and institutions as well as the private sector.
