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- Says 600 samples collected from 11 states
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has disclosed plans to establish soil testing laboratories across the 774 local government areas in the country, to address poor agricultural produce.
Tinubu, who stated this at the launch of Nigerian Farmers Soil Scheme, yesterday in Abuja, revealed that already 600 soil samples have been collected so far from 11 states to commence the process.
The states are: Borno, Adamawa, Ondo, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Niger, Kwara, Kano and Jigawa.
Represented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture Production, Services and Rural Development, Saliu Mustapha, he said: “The FMA and FS plans to establish functional soil testing laboratories in all 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across the country to facilitate widespread soil analysis and provide timely soil health information to farmers.
“The initial stages of the Nigerian Farmer Soil Health Card Scheme have seen significant progress in data acquisition through soil sample collection. A total of 600 soil samples have been successfully collected from eleven states across the country, representing a diverse range of agricultural regions.”
The President explained that the project also aims to provide farmers with detailed laboratory analysis of their farms’ soil nutrient content and other vital parameters.
According to him, the information will empower farmers to make informed decisions about fertiliser application and soil management practices for improved productivity and sustainability.
He added that Nigeria Soil Information System (NSIS) is a comprehensive and interactive national database designed to aggregate soil data from initiatives like the farmer soil health scheme, NAG-AP and other relevant sources, thereby providing a centralised platform for detailed soil analysis and informed decision-making across Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
More so, he explained that the initiative would increase adoption of sustainable farming practices nationwide, driven by tailored soil information that will enhance long-term soil health, improve environmental resilience, and ensure the sustained productivity of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
On his part, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security Abdullahi Sabi, noted that the NFSHS represents the effort of the ministry in enhancing soil health and fertility through scientific soil assessments and data-driven fertiliser recommendations.
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To realise the objectives of the scheme and maximise the associated benefits, Sabi said the implementation strategies adopted a comprehensive Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) approach, ensuring inclusivity from the national to sub-national levels.
“The scheme implementation committees are structured as follows: National Executive Committee: Responsible for overseeing the implementation and monitoring of the scheme;
“State and Local Government Committees: Assist in the rollout of the scheme and engage with farmers.
“iii) Partnerships: Collaborations with development partners, research institutions, and farmer organisations.
“With support from development partners such as Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL, World Bank), Soil Values, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) etc., the scheme has achieved several significant milestones, such as: concept note for the Nigerian Farmers Soil Health Scheme developed and included in the 2024 budget – September 2023;
“Establishment of the National Technical Executive Committee (NTEC) – July 2024
“Hosting of the National Stakeholder Sensitisation Workshop (Abuja) – August 2024;
“Design of the Soil Health Card for fertiliser recommendations and agronomic advisory services – August 2024;
“Organisation of Regional Stakeholder Workshops – September and October 2024 for North and South respectively
“Completion of a Study Tour to Ethiopia – November 2024 among others,” he added.
