Agricultural experts have called on the Nigerian government to scale up the establishment and functionality of soil testing laboratories across the country, warning that the sector cannot reach its full potential without addressing the root challenge of declining soil fertility.
Despite contributing over N19.3 trillion to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the agricultural sector recorded only 0.07% year-on-year growth in real GDP in the first quarter of 2025, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Experts say this sluggish growth underscores the urgent need for critical infrastructure like soil testing labs in all 774 local government areas.
Caleb Usoh, Head of Business Development (Africa) at OCP Africa, emphasized that improving productivity must go beyond building infrastructure to fostering a culture of soil health awareness among farmers. “It’s not just about the lab,” Usoh said. “It’s a holistic approach. You build a lab, walk away, and five years later, no one uses it. That doesn’t change anything.”
He criticized the common trend where governments establish agricultural labs without providing the complementary systems needed to make them effective.
According to him, a single lab cannot serve an entire state. “You can’t expect every farmer to travel over 100 kilometres to test their soil,” he said, recommending that soil testing services be decentralized and run by private commercial entities.
Usoh also advocated for government programmes to support the provision of specialty fertilizers tailored to specific soil conditions. “It’s not enough to assist farmers generally; the real help lies in giving them the right inputs based on accurate soil tests,” he added.
Echoing similar sentiments, Professor Uche Cyprian Amalu, a Soil Science expert at Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, stressed the need for a robust network of soil testing centres across the country. He proposed leveraging the existing infrastructure in universities and research institutes to serve surrounding communities.
“The government should empower universities to run soil testing labs. These can serve as regional hubs, with mobile labs extending the services to rural farmers,” Professor Amalu explained.
He also recommended that each lab generate localized soil data to build a national database capable of guiding optimal land use for crops such as maize and cassava.
According to him, such data would be invaluable for advising farmers on how to maintain soil health, manage limitations, and boost crop yields. “With proper soil information, we can help farmers manage the soil sustainably for their communities,” he said.
Addressing concerns about the feasibility of setting up labs in all 774 local governments, Amalu suggested a phased, strategic approach. “Many universities and agricultural institutes already have labs. With the right support, a university can cater to at least five local governments,” he noted.
Both experts agreed that enhancing access to soil testing would unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s agricultural sector, promote sustainable land use, and strengthen national food security.
1 comment
This is a timely call. Strengthening soil testing capacity across Nigeria is essential for improving productivity, ensuring precise fertilizer use, and promoting sustainable land management. Leveraging existing university and research institute labs is a practical and cost-effective approach. We need to move from policy talk to real, accessible soil services for our farmers.