NADF Unveils Harmonised Fertiliser Manual to Boost Yields, Restore Soils

News in Brief

—NADF and FISS launched a new Harmonised Fertiliser Recommendation Manual, which covers maize, rice, wheat, cassava and cowpea, tailored to Nigeria’s six agro‑ecological zones.

—The manual promotes fertiliser-use best practices and converts use rates into bag equivalents for farm‑level use as the agriculture minister calls for harmonisation with soil health programmes.

The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), in partnership with the Department of Farm Input Support Services (FISS) of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, unveiled the Harmonised Fertiliser Recommendation Manual for Nigeria — 2026 Edition. This national guide is intended to standardise fertiliser application, improve crop yields and restore soil health across the country.

Mohammed Ibrahim, the NADF Executive Secretary, presented the manual to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, with stakeholders from government, research institutes, fertiliser producers and international development partners in attendance. Ibrahim described the publication as the first phase of a broader 'national input application guide' that will eventually provide harmonised recommendations for all farm inputs and crops.

A National Response to a 14‑Year Gap

According to Ibrahim, the effort was conceived in April 2025 after stakeholders identified the absence of a unified national fertiliser application framework, and moved through a series of technical workshops and validations between June 2025 and February 2026 before final editorial approval.

“Because fertiliser remains the most commercially important and complex input, we decided to begin with fertiliser recommendations,” he said during the presentation.

The editorial process brought together the FISS, the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria, OCP Group, the International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC), and a range of national research institutes, according to NADF.

Research partners cited in the manual’s development include the Institute for Agricultural Research, the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, the National Root Crops Research Institute, the National Cereals Research Institute and the Lake Chad Research Institute.

Chairman of the Editorial Committee and Food Systems and Agricultural Advisory Specialist, Professor Christogonus Daudu, stated that the manual is not just a technical reference but a practical field guide for extension agents and farmers, filling a major gap left since the last national fertiliser manual was issued in 2012. He argued that lack of up‑to‑date guidance had contributed to sub‑optimal yields, low fertiliser‑use efficiency and declining soil quality.

“Farmers were not getting optimum yields, fertiliser-use efficiency remained low, and both government and farmers did not receive adequate returns on subsidy investments,” Daudu said.

Five Crops, National Scope

The first edition contains scientifically validated fertiliser recommendations for five strategic crops, namely maize, rice, wheat, cassava, and cowpea. It provides guidance tailored to Nigeria’s six agro‑ecological zones and every one of the nation’s 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory.

The document converts nutrient rates into bag equivalents to make recommendations easier to apply at the farm level and includes extension glossaries and farmer‑friendly language to aid uptake.

Beyond application rates, the manual promotes sustainable soil management approaches, including Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM), the “4Rs” of nutrient stewardship (right source, right rate, right time, right place), and deep fertiliser placement technologies aimed at improving nutrient efficiency and environmental outcomes. 

The editorial committee also recommended translating the guide into major Nigerian languages and deploying digital extension tools such as interactive voice response (IVR) systems to reach farmers with limited access to traditional extension services.

Minister Stresses Profitability, Soil Health Alignment

Responding to the presentation, Minister Kyari welcomed the initiative but urged that recommendations account for profitability and local soil context.

“If we increase yields but farmers spend more than the value they gain, then the economic objective is defeated,” he said, calling for the manual to be harmonised with ongoing soil health programmes and expanded to address climate‑related risks such as flooding, drought and erratic rainfall.

Kyari also drew attention to Nigeria’s untapped agricultural potential, noting the country has about 70 million hectares of arable land, of which roughly 30 million hectares are currently utilised, a gap he said underscores the need for improved productivity systems and stronger extension services at the state level.

Participants at the launch expressed optimism that the harmonised manual will be a key instrument in Nigeria’s food‑security strategy by improving nutrient management, restoring soil fertility and raising yields for staple crops, provided adequate extension, financing and monitoring frameworks are put in place to ensure adoption.