By Abubakar Yunusa
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture to improve soil fertility efficiency, boost agricultural productivity and strengthen food security.
The MoU was signed at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, marking a strategic partnership aimed at translating soil science into practical solutions for farmers nationwide.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Director-General of IITA, Dr Simeon Ehui, said the agreement would support the Nigeria Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme and the continued development of the Nigerian National Soil Information System.
Ehui described the partnership as both a policy and delivery commitment designed to provide farmers with data-driven, location-specific recommendations rather than “generalised messages”.
According to him, implementation will be channelled through the Regional Hub of Fertiliser and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel, hosted by IITA, to ensure coordination, common standards and shared learning across countries.
“This approach assures a standards-based system rather than isolated interventions, while allowing Nigeria to benefit from regional expertise,” he said.
Ehui explained that the initiative would deliver crop- and location-specific fertiliser recommendations for key staples such as rice, maize, sorghum, wheat and yam, alongside integrated soil fertility management, improved laboratory standards, digital soil information systems and capacity building.
He added that IITA would provide research and technical expertise, training, soil testing support and monitoring frameworks to ensure measurable outcomes.
“The real test of this MoU will be results—improved soil health systems, higher fertiliser use efficiency, stronger national capacity and accelerated progress towards food security,” Ehui said, reaffirming the institute’s commitment.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the MoU formalised collaboration between the ministry and the West African regional hub on fertiliser and soil health anchored by IITA.
He recalled the launch of the Nigerian Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme, noting that many farmers currently rely on guesswork rather than science when deciding what to plant and how to fertilise their farms.
“This scheme is designed to remove guesswork for Nigerian farmers by giving them facts—what to plant, where to plant and the type of fertiliser required for each soil type,” Abdullahi said.
He explained that laboratories would be sited across 174 local government areas, enabling farmers to submit soil samples for analysis and receive recommendations, similar to medical laboratory tests.
Earlier, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said soil health formed the foundation of President Bola Tinubu’s food security agenda.
Kyari stressed that beyond food availability and affordability, the government was committed to ensuring nutritional quality and safety.
“If the soil is not healthy, no matter the effort, the desired results cannot be achieved,” he said.
