By Felicia Imohimi
The Federal Government says it will incorporate phosphorus management into the soil health card, expand soil testing and quality assurance among others.
Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, said this on Monday in Abuja at the Nigeria Fertiliser Summit 2026.
The soil health card is a report that provides farmers with vital information on the condition of their soil.
Experts say phosphorus is an essential chemical element for all living organisms, adding that it is crucial for plants to complete their production cycle.
The summit was organised by the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) in collaboration with OCP Africa, Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) and other stakeholders.
It had its theme as: “Phosphorus and Food Security: Challenges in Food Production Systems in Nigeria”.
Abdullahi said that Nigeria’s pursuit of food security was fundamentally linked to soil health and judicious phosphorus management.
He said that the success of agricultural systems relied not solely on land, seeds, water and workforce, but also on the ability of the soil to deliver vital nutrients for crop development.
“Among these nutrients, phosphorus stands out. It plays an essential role in root expansion, nutrient transport, rapid seedling growth and overall output of numerous staple crops.
“Phosphorus management remains a major challenge due to soil composition, nutrient exhaustion, suboptimal fertiliser practices and poor access to soil analysis services.
“The government aims to ensure phosphorus becomes accessible to plants and delivers return on every naira spent on fertiliser.
“Fertiliser must not be treated as a mere commodity for distribution but as a critical input whose effectiveness depends on scientific understanding of soil and crop needs,” he said.
Abdullahi said the Federal Government identified the gap and unveiled the Nigerian Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme (NFSHS) in October 2025 to move from general fertiliser recommendations to evidence-based, farmer-focused and site-specific approach.
According to him, achievements under the scheme include development of the Soil Health Card, the Nigeria Soil Information System (NiSIS), strengthening of soil-testing facilities across LGAs.
“These initiatives were carried out in partnerships with the Coalition of the Willing and the Regional Hub for Fertiliser and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel,” he said.
Abdullahi said that current challenges to included scale of establishing laboratories in 774 Local Government Areas and availability and quality of soil data.
Other challenges, he said were institutional coordination, farmer awareness, cost and availability of appropriate fertiliser products, and sustainability.
According to him, seven priority areas for next phase includes accelerating state-level domestication, expanding soil testing and quality assurance, operationalising NiSIS and incorporating phosphorus management into Soil Health Cards.
“The government will also prioritise strengthening extension delivery, mobilising sustainable financing and measuring results based on farm-level impact.
“Fertile soils constitute the bedrock of agricultural productivity; judicious phosphorus stewardship is critical to soil health; comprehensive soil health management is essential to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s food security mandate,” Abdullahi said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised to address critical phosphorus-related challenges affecting food production and soil fertility management in Nigeria.(NAN)
FUA/KUA
========
Edited by Uche Anunne
Comments