By Ngozi Nwankwo
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security,FMAFS, in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit,GIZ, and the Gates Foundation, has launched the Soil Matters Initiative to rehabilitate degraded farmlands, improve fertilizer efficiency, boost climate-smart resilience, and advance Nigeria’s food sovereignty.
Speaking at the launch workshop in Abuja recently , the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the initiative aligns with the “Renewed Hope” agenda to achieve food sovereignty and restore Nigeria’s agricultural ecosystem.
A key goal of the program is to turn soil health into a viable business opportunity for youth and women in agriculture. Plans include establishing 774 soil testing laboratories across all Local Government Areas and training 10,000 youth as “Soil Doctors” by 2027. These extension agents will provide digital soil advisory services to support farmland restoration.
“Under the Nigerian Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme,NFSHS, developed with GIZ, ACReSAL World Bank, Soil Values, AGRA, Sasakawa Africa Association, and IITA Regional-Hub, every LGA will have access to soil testing services,” said Abdullahi.
He added that farmers will receive Soil Health Cards with crop- and site-specific fertilizer recommendations. This will curb indiscriminate fertilizer use, promote precision agriculture, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support climate-smart practices. “Farmers need to understand their soil before they can cultivate it,” he said.
“Our objective under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is clear: enhance productivity, feed 220 million Nigerians, make agriculture a driver of jobs and wealth, and transform Nigeria into a net food exporter. None of this is possible without healthy, living soils.”
The Minister noted that the Ministry’s partnership with GIZ has scaled from pilots to major interventions, including:
- ProSoil – Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security.
Launched in Nigeria in 2015, it has rehabilitated about 166,000 hectares and increased smallholder yields by an average of 40 percent.
Abdullahi said over 280,000 smallholders trained in integrated soil fertility management across Benue, Ebonyi, Ogun, and other states.
He further disclosed that the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative is being revised to prioritize soil-specific NPK blends tailored to agro-ecological zones, cutting waste and costs for smallholders. The Ministry will also introduce carbon farming incentives to reward farmers for sustainable land stewardship.
Abdullahi referenced last year’s launch of the Nigerian Soil Information System,NiSIS,and the Coalition of Willing,CoW,with IITA Regional-Hub. NiSIS will serve as the digital backbone for mapping soils in all 774 LGAs, giving farmers, researchers, and blenders real-time data on soil properties and management recommendations.
The CoW brings together government, private sector, farmers, and researchers to share knowledge and resources for soil health.
He commended GIZ for prioritizing soil health in Nigeria’s agricultural transformation and called on State Governments to domesticate the National Soil Policy, stressing: “No soil, no food. No food, no peace.”
To researchers, he urged translating science into practical tools for farmers. To development partners: align investments around soil as a national asset, linking soil health to markets, finance, and youth enterprises.
Addressing farmers directly, he said, “The future of your land is in your hands. Adopt practices that build, not mine, the soil.
“As the saying goes, ‘A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.’ Nigeria will not be that nation,” the Minister concluded. “With commitment, science, and partnerships, we will restore our soils, deepen our impact, and secure food for generations.”
In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi described the launch as a significant milestone for the Nigeria Farmers Soil Health Scheme,NFSHS.
“Effective management of Nigeria’s soils is key to increased agricultural productivity and food security,” he said.
Ogunbiyi emphasised that food security depends on managing, restoring, and preserving soil health. “Healthy soils are essential for productivity, crop nutrition, climate resilience, biodiversity, and sustainable livelihoods for millions of Nigerian farmers. Our agricultural transformation cannot succeed without deliberate investment in sustainable soil management.”
Presenting an overview of Soil Matters Project Manager for GP Soil Matters, Dr. Erkossa Teklu, said the initiative will enhance soil health management and agricultural productivity through stronger stakeholder coordination, improved soil information systems, and evidence-based decision-making.
Target beneficiaries include farmers – men, women, and youth – as well as extension agents, policymakers, planners, researchers, academic institutions, and the private sector.
