Nigeria’s food sovereignty drive gets boost as FG, IITA sign Soil Health Pact
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to improve soil health, enhance fertilizer efficiency and revolutionize the agricultural ecosystem.
Speaking during the MoU Signing at the Ministry’s Conference Room, Abuja, recently, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari said that the initiative which is part of the presidential soil health scheme.aims to transform soil management practices, increase agricultural productively, and ultimately achieve food sovereignty for the nation
Sen Kyari stated that the Agreement would provide farmers with data driven recommendations for fertilizer use and crop selection, which can help optimize yields and reduce costs.
He added that the collaboration would also focus on improving land management and climate services, building national expertise, and creating a model for regional cooperation, therefore calling on both parties to collaborate on tackling issues such as soil nutrient depletion , erosion, and climate change effects using advanced technologies.
The Minister highlighted that beyond food availability and affordability, the government was committed to ensuring nutritional quality and safety of the soil as healthy soil ensures food security
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said that the MoU aims to articulate the understanding and willingness of the Parties (the Ministry and IITA) to evaluate the benefits of their collaboration so as to facilitate joint preliminary study and due diligence related to the proposed partnership, among others
^This MoU does not impose any legal obligations on either Party concerning the proposed collaboration’’. He said
Dr. Abdullahi outlined the MoU’s three objectives as strengthening land management and climate services focusing on soil health, building national capacity through research and policy support; and promoting a collaborative model for the ECOWAS region.
According to him, ‘’This scheme is designed to remove guesswork for Nigerian farmers by giving them facts, what to plant, where to plant, and the type of fertilizer required for each soil type
He explained that laboratories would be sited across 774 local government areas, which will enable farmers to submit soil samples for analysis and receive recommendations similar to medical laboratory tests.
The Minister lauded the IITA for their strong collaboration and multi-faceted partnership with Nigeria over the years focusing on transforming our agriculture for food security and economic growth through research, innovation, capacity building and technology transfer targeting climate resilience, data-driven farming and youth/women empowerment.
In a statement by Ogbuagu Chika, Principal Information Officer on behalf of the Head of Press, the Director- General, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Simeon Ehui, said that the agreement would support the Nigeria Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme (NFSHS) and the continued development of the Nigerian National Soil Information System (NNSIS)
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