FG, IITA Sign MoU to Advance Nigeria Farmers Soil Health Scheme

News in Brief

-FG and IITA sign MoU to advance Nigeria Farmers Soil Health Scheme to enhance soil testing, fertiliser efficiency, and build soil data systems for major crops across Nigeria's 774 LGAs.

-The initiative will help farmers gain precise, location-based advice to combat soil degradation and boost yields, targeting food security.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has signed an agreement with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) for a strategic partnership to advance the Nigerian Farmers Soil Health Scheme (NFSHS).

The collaboration sealed with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, under the Presidential Soil Health Scheme, aims to improve soil health, enhance fertiliser efficiency and transform the Nigerian agricultural ecosystem.

Based on the MOU signed, the ministry and the institute will work together to support the Nigerian farmers’ soil health scheme, launched by the President Tinubu administration in October 2025. The collaboration will also support the continued development of the Nigerian National Soil Information System and other components of the scheme. 

Key Staples Targeted

With support from the ministry, IITA, through its Regional Hub of Fertiliser and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel, will coordinate the implementation of the scheme. 

The key staples targeted include rice, maize, sorghum, wheat and yams, alongside broader interventions in digital soil information systems, laboratory standards and capacity building.

According to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, the initiative aligned with the federal government’s strategy 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.

Plans for NFSHS

Also speaking at the signing event, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, explained that the MoU sets out a framework for collaboration without creating binding legal obligations, while providing a platform for joint studies, data generation and policy support.

“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.

With the new partnership agreement, Nigeria will strengthen its agricultural land management and climate services, build national capacity through applied research and soil fertility data systems. It will also promote a collaborative model that could be used as a standard across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region.

Impact on Local Farmers

The NFSHS initiative is designed to introduce data-driven soil management practices that will guide farmers in selecting appropriate crops and applying fertiliser, while addressing land degradation, nutrient depletion and climate-related challenges.

The programme includes the building of a national soil information system and plans to establish soil-testing laboratories across the 774 local government areas in the country to enable farmers access to location-specific recommendations. 

The National Soil Information System is the digital database component of the scheme that will collect and analyse soil data across farmlands in the country to guide policy and farm-level decisions.

In his remark,  the director-general of IITA, Dr Simeon Ehui, said the agreement represents a shift from generalised advice to precise, location-specific recommendations for farmers, leveraging regional expertise and shared standards.