By Boluwatife Adedokun
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has entered into a strategic partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to improve soil health, enhance fertiliser efficiency and strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural ecosystem.
The collaboration was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja under the Presidential Soil Health Scheme.
The initiative aims to introduce data-driven soil management practices that will guide farmers on appropriate crop selection and fertiliser application, while addressing challenges such as land degradation, nutrient depletion and climate-related risks.
Under the agreement, the ministry and IITA will work together to strengthen agricultural land management and climate services, build national capacity through applied research and soil fertility data systems, and promote a collaborative model that could be replicated across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region.
As part of the programme, soil-testing laboratories are expected to be established in all 774 local government areas to provide farmers with location-specific recommendations.
The partnership will also support the Nigerian farmers’ soil health scheme and the continued development of the Nigerian National Soil Information System. Implementation will be coordinated through IITA’s Regional Hub of Fertiliser and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel.
Key crops targeted under the initiative include rice, maize, sorghum, wheat and yams, alongside broader interventions in digital soil information systems, laboratory standards and capacity building.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said the initiative aligned with the federal government’s efforts to reform soil management practices and improve agricultural productivity nationwide.
“Beyond food availability and affordability, the government is committed to ensuring nutritional quality and safety. If the soil is not healthy, no matter the effort, the desired results cannot be achieved,” Kyari said.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, explained that the MoU provides a framework for collaboration without creating binding legal obligations, while enabling joint studies, data generation and policy support.
“This scheme is designed to remove guesswork for Nigerian farmers by providing clear guidance on what to plant, where to plant and the type of fertiliser required for each soil type,” Abdullahi said.
Also speaking, the Director-General of IITA, Dr Simeon Ehui, said the agreement marked a shift from generalised agricultural advice to precise, location-specific recommendations, leveraging regional expertise and shared standards to improve outcomes for farmers.
