By Agrobroadcast Team
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to implement a nationwide programme focused on soil health improvement and more efficient fertiliser use, in a move aimed at raising agricultural productivity and cutting production costs for farmers.
In a statement released on Friday, the ministry said the partnership is intended to advance Nigeria’s food sovereignty agenda by restoring soil quality, optimising fertiliser application and deploying data-driven approaches across the agricultural value chain.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said the collaboration would enable farmers to make informed decisions on fertiliser application and crop choice based on scientific soil data.
“This is expected to improve yields while reducing waste and unnecessary spending on inputs,” he said. The initiative, he added, is aligned with the presidential soil health scheme and the broader Renewed Hope agenda on food security and sovereignty.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the MoU is anchored on three commercial pillars: improved land management and climate services; national capacity development through applied research and soil data systems; and the development of a scalable framework that can be adopted across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Central to the programme is a plan to establish soil testing laboratories in all 774 local government areas nationwide. These facilities will allow farmers to analyse soil samples and receive customised fertiliser recommendations, helping to eliminate guesswork and improve returns on fertiliser investments.
Beyond the farm level, the soil testing network is expected to create opportunities for local laboratory services, digital advisory platforms and precision agriculture technologies, while also improving efficiency in fertiliser distribution and use.
Director General of IITA, Simeon Ehui, said the agreement would reinforce the Nigeria Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme and strengthen 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 target key staple crops such as rice, maize, sorghum, wheat and yam, delivering location-specific fertiliser recommendations, integrated soil fertility management practices, and upgraded laboratory and digital soil information standards.
Under the MoU, IITA will provide research backing, technical support, training, soil testing services and monitoring frameworks aimed at achieving measurable improvements in soil health, fertiliser efficiency and overall agricultural capacity.
Industry analysts note that better fertiliser efficiency could reduce farmers’ production costs, support more stable supply for food processors and, over time, ease pressure on foreign exchange by lowering fertiliser import requirements.
The MoU was signed in Abuja by representatives of FMAFS and IITA, signalling a move towards a more data-driven and commercially sustainable agricultural system in Nigeria.