The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has partnered with the International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) to improve fertilizer availability, accessibility, and affordability, while also boosting soil health to enhance food security and nutrition.
The collaboration was disclosed during a bilateral meeting between senior officials of IFDC and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, on the sidelines of the Africa Food Systems Forum recently held in Dakar, Senegal.
Sen. Kyari explained that the partnership would focus on providing technical assistance for data-driven fertilizer recommendations, strengthening local blending capacity, tackling adulteration in the input supply chain, and promoting soil health, among other key interventions.
He noted the importance of enhancing input markets, expanding last-mile delivery systems, and scaling up climate-smart soil fertility practices to benefit smallholder farmers as a foundation for increased food production and security.
Speaking on an ongoing government initiative, the Minister said : “The Ministry introduced the Nigeria Farmers soil health scheme (NFSHS), which represents a groundbreaking initiative.
“This scheme is designed to transform the agricultural landscape of Nigeria. It provides fertilizer recommendations tailored to specific crops and locations.
“Stronger partnership with IFDC will help improve soil health, ensure quality inputs reach farmers on time, and advance food security in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda in the Agriculture sector.
“There should be interventions that prioritize affordability, quality assurance, and timely delivery to farmers, especially in staple crop belts, while aligning with the Ministry’s broader programs to raise productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve livelihoods.”
On his part, the President/Chief Executive Officer of IFDC, Henk Van Deepen, said:
“The partnership will strengthen private-sector distribution networks, targeted soil testing, balanced nutrient use, farmer training on good agronomic practices, and evidence-based policies that support competitive and transparent input markets.”
To operationalize the agreement, both organizations have set up a Technical Committee to work out the details of the collaboration.
