The Federal Government has announced plans to deliver soil test-based advisory services to no fewer than 10 million farmers by 2027, to improve agricultural productivity, nutrition, and incomes across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, disclosed this in Abuja during the unveiling of the readiness assessment for sub-national implementation of the Nigerian Farmers Soil Health Scheme (NFSHS).
He said the initiative would see about five million hectares of farmland managed using improved soil practices, including the use of organic fertilisers, lime application, cover crops, and agroforestry systems to restore soil quality and increase farm output.
As part of the rollout, digital soil health cards will be distributed to farmers across all 774 local government areas using mobile technology, providing location-specific soil information and guidance to support better farming decisions.
According to Abdullahi, the readiness assessment will identify degraded soils, gaps in access to soil testing, and capacity constraints affecting the delivery of soil advisory services nationwide.
“The readiness assessment provides evidence that addressing soil health at scale requires strong policies, robust institutions, modern infrastructure and coordinated partnerships,” he said.
He explained that the assessment was based on fieldwork, laboratory audits, policy analysis, stakeholder consultations, and data validation conducted across states, providing a comprehensive foundation for implementation.
The findings, he said, will guide investments aimed at improving resilience, productivity, and nutrition outcomes, particularly within the 2026 budget framework, while aligning public and private sector financing, including resources from the National Agricultural Development Fund, state governments, donors, and private investors.
The scheme is structured around five key pillars: policy and governance, institutional capacity, technical readiness, stakeholder engagement, and monitoring and evaluation systems.
Abdullahi said the NFSHS is designed to address long-standing challenges of soil degradation, improve nutrient efficiency, and strengthen the scientific basis of agricultural production in Nigeria.
He noted that decades of nutrient depletion, erosion, flooding, and poor land use practices have significantly reduced soil fertility and increased the vulnerability of farmers.
He stressed that soil health remains critical to achieving food security and sustaining national development, warning that continued neglect could undermine broader economic goals.
The programme will expand soil testing capacity through mobile laboratories and the Nigerian Soil Information System, in collaboration with development partners, including Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit.
It will also promote the adoption of organic fertilisers, biochar, lime application, and improved extension services supported by digital tools to enhance productivity at the farm level.
Abdullahi highlighted key milestones already achieved under the scheme, including the development of a concept note, establishment of technical committees, design of soil health cards, and creation of a national soil information system.
He added that the initiative has been integrated into the ECOWAS fertiliser hub, with laboratory equipment already provided to 12 states to strengthen soil testing infrastructure.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Marcus Ogunbiyi, said soil health had become a national security priority under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He noted that the government is working to transform agriculture into a climate-resilient sector through large-scale soil testing and the establishment of laboratories nationwide.
Ogunbiyi said the readiness assessment would help identify key gaps, strengths, and priorities in extension services, input systems, and agricultural data platforms, guiding the final design, budgeting, and implementation of the soil health scheme.
Source: People Gazette
