By Abbas Nazil
Jigawa State has commenced the demonstration and domestication of the Nigeria Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme (NFSHS) to promote sustainable agriculture, improve soil fertility and strengthen food security.
The initiative is expected to help farmers adopt soil management practices based on scientific data while improving fertiliser use efficiency and agricultural productivity across the state.
Prof Olumuyiwa James, National Consultant for the Nigeria Farmer Soil Health Scheme and an expert in Soil Science and Smart Agriculture at Bayero University, Kano, made this known at a one-day stakeholder engagement and awareness session on the scheme held in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital.
James said effective soil management required the involvement of policymakers, researchers, agricultural experts, farmers and other critical stakeholders.
He stressed that regular and periodic soil testing was essential for generating reliable information on soil conditions, suitable crops, fertiliser requirements, pest control and other techniques needed to support smart agricultural practices.
According to him, appropriate soil management would make agriculture more productive and sustainable while improving farmers’ returns and strengthening the country’s food security.
He therefore urged the government, development partners, farmers and other stakeholders to support the implementation of the policy and make agriculture more attractive, viable and sustainable.
The Country Director of Soil Value, Madina Ayuba, said the NFSHS was a flagship initiative of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, coordinated through the ALCCMS.
She said the scheme was designed to provide a comprehensive framework for sustainable soil fertility management and climate-smart agriculture across Nigeria.
Ayuba added that the initiative would improve fertiliser use efficiency and promote data-driven soil governance across the country’s different agro-ecological zones.
She explained that the scheme was anchored on the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy, with every state expected to domesticate the framework according to its local agricultural conditions.
She said states were also expected to establish State Technical Working Committees to engage farmers and create Coalition of the Willing platforms to drive implementation.
The Director of Agricultural Land and Climate Change Management Services, Mr Olanipekun Oshadiya, described healthy soil as the foundation of sustainable agriculture and food security.
He said the ability to produce sufficient food, improve farmers’ livelihoods and build resilient agricultural systems depended largely on the health and productive capacity of soils.
Oshadiya, however, warned that soil degradation, nutrient depletion, erosion, declining organic matter and the effects of climate change were increasingly threatening agricultural production.
He said Nigeria must change the way it manages its soils, particularly by ensuring that fertiliser application was based on the specific needs of soils and crops.
“We must move away from a situation where farmers apply fertiliser simply because it is generally recommended, towards an approach where the specific needs of the soil and crop determine the appropriate nutrient application,” he said.
Oshadiya also stressed the importance of implementing the scheme at the sub-national level because of differences in agro-ecological zones, soil types, crops and farming systems across Nigeria.
He said practices that worked in one location might not necessarily produce the same results elsewhere, making state ownership and local adaptation critical to the success of the initiative.
He called for stronger soil testing infrastructure, improved laboratory capacity and quality assurance, as well as the training of technical personnel.
He also urged authorities to make soil testing services accessible and affordable to smallholder farmers.
“I encourage State Governments to integrate the Scheme into their agricultural development programmes and strengthen collaboration among soil laboratories, research institutions, extension services, farmers’ organisations, development partners, and the private sector,” he said.
The Jigawa State Commissioner of Agriculture and Food Security, Hon Muttaka Namadi, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Auwal Ado Shehu, said the state government was committed to domesticating and fully implementing the soil health policy.
Namadi said the initiative was in line with the state government’s efforts to reform the agriculture and climate sectors to increase productivity, strengthen food security and promote sustainable economic growth.
The scheme is expected to provide Jigawa farmers with better access to soil information and encourage more efficient use of agricultural inputs while supporting climate-smart and sustainable farming practices.
