FG plans soil testing in all 774 LGAs to help farmers spend better on fertiliser

The Federal Government wants farmers across all 774 local government areas to be able to test their soil before buying fertiliser, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, has said.

He spoke in Abuja at a two-day summit on phosphorus and food security, organised by the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) with OCP Africa.

The plan falls under the Nigerian Farmers' Soil Health Scheme, which began in October 2025. Its aim is to tell farmers what nutrients their land actually needs, so money spent on fertiliser is not wasted.

Abdullahi, represented by Oshadiya Olanipekun, a director in the ministry, said the goal is to make sure phosphorus put into the soil reaches the plants, lifts harvests and gives farmers value for every naira spent on fertiliser.

Why it matters to farmers

Many Nigerian farmers buy fertiliser without knowing what their soil lacks. The minister said general fertiliser advice often ignores differences in soil, crop and region, which can push up costs and cut into farm profits.

So far, the scheme has produced Soil Health Cards and set up the Nigeria Soil Information System (NiSIS), a database of soil information. Laboratory capacity is being strengthened and partnerships built with research bodies.

The next stage, according to the minister, will widen access to testing, raise laboratory standards, strengthen extension services and turn soil results into advice farmers can use.

He listed funding shortfalls, patchy soil data, weak coordination between agencies, low awareness among farmers and the cost of suitable fertiliser as risks to the plan. He asked state governments to fold soil health into their agricultural plans and urged researchers, donors and private firms to back the scheme.

Progress will be judged by how many farmers are reached, how many soil samples are tested, how many Soil Health Cards are handed out, and whether fertiliser use, yields and farm incomes improve.

The phosphorus warning

The Executive Director of IAR&T, Professor Gabriel Oluwatosin, warned that poor phosphorus management could hold back food security, especially where soils are depleted and fertiliser is hard to afford.

He said phosphorus has no substitute in food production, and that phosphate rock is concentrated in a few countries, leaving import-dependent nations like Nigeria exposed to export restrictions and price swings.

"Many farmers apply urea alone, which without phosphorus and potassium further mines the soil," he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Professor Adebayo Bamire, said the country's growing population will pile pressure on food production, making soil health and careful nutrient use more important.

"The future of food security in Nigeria is fundamentally linked to the health and productivity of our soils," he said.

What happens next: The ministry says the coming phase will focus on expanding testing services and improving laboratories. No timeline or budget for reaching all 774 LGAs was given at the summit.