The Federal Government is working to expand soil testing services across all 774 local government areas in Nigeria to improve fertilizer use, increase crop yields and strengthen food security.
Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, disclosed the plan at the opening of a two day fertiliser summit on phosphorus and food security in Abuja on Monday. The summit was organised by the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training in partnership with OCP Africa.
Abdullahi said the initiative is part of the Nigerian Farmers Soil Health Scheme, which aims to help farmers understand the condition of their soil and apply fertilizers according to the nutrients their crops need. He explained that many farmers apply fertilizers without knowing the nutrient composition of their soil. This can increase production costs, reduce fertilizer efficiency and limit the income farmers earn from their harvests.
“Therefore, the federal ministry of agriculture and food security identified the necessity for a more evidence based, farmer focused and information driven strategy for managing soil fertility,” he said.
Launched in October 2025, the scheme is designed to replace guesswork with scientific information. It includes soil health cards that provide farmers with guidance on fertilizer application and the Nigeria Soil Information System, a central platform for collecting and managing soil data. The minister said the government had strengthened laboratory capacity, trained technicians and supplied modern testing equipment to designated states. However, he identified funding shortages, unreliable soil data, weak coordination, limited farmer awareness and the cost of suitable fertilizers as challenges to the programme.
He said expanding soil testing nationwide would require sustained government funding, qualified personnel, adequate facilities and stronger cooperation between federal and state governments, research institutions and private sector organisations. The next phase will focus on expanding laboratory coverage, improving testing standards, strengthening agricultural extension services and securing long term funding.
Abdullahi also stressed the importance of phosphorus management, noting that the nutrient supports root development, seedling growth, reproduction and overall crop yields. He urged farmers and agricultural stakeholders to rely on scientific recommendations rather than applying fertilizers indiscriminately.
“However, the solution lies not in indiscriminate fertilizer application. Rather, it resides in the strategic application of scientific knowledge to ascertain soil requirements, crop needs, and optimal approaches to fulfil those demands,” he said.
Gabriel Oluwatosin, director of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, also highlighted the importance of phosphorus to food production.
“The solution is not finding more rock forever, but keeping the phosphorus we already have in circulation longer and getting it to the soils that actually need it,” Olanrewaju said.
He explained that phosphorus is essential for plant growth and has no substitute in food production. He added that inefficient fertilizer use allows much of the nutrient to be lost before crops can absorb it. Adebayo Banire, Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, said improving soil health requires collaboration, research and sustainable farming practices. He noted that effective soil management could strengthen food security, improve economic resilience and support sustainable agricultural growth.
The government says the programme’s success will ultimately depend on measurable improvements in farmers’ productivity, household income and resilience, rather than simply the number of laboratories established or soil samples tested.
