ABUJA, NIGERIA – In a major milestone aimed at transforming the country’s agricultural landscape, Nigeria has launched its first harmonised national fertiliser guide in 14 years. The initiative is designed to standardise farming practices, maximise crop yields, and promote critical environmental and safety protocols across the federation.
The newly unveiled document, titled “Harmonised Fertiliser Recommendations for Nigeria,” was officially presented to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, by the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) in collaboration with the Farm Input Support Services (FISS).
According to officials, this guide marks the first phase of a broader national input application framework that will eventually cover all agricultural crops and farm inputs nationwide.
Bridging a 14-Year Information Gap
The project was initiated in April 2025 after key stakeholders identified the urgent need for a unified approach to fertiliser application. Over the course of several months, a dedicated coalition, comprising FISS, the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), OCP Group, and the International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC), conducted technical workshops and scientific validations to build recommendations tailored specifically to Nigeria’s varied soil and farming conditions.
Christogonus Daudu, Food Systems and Agricultural Advisory Specialist and Chairman of the Editorial Committee, noted that the new guide fills a massive institutional gap. The last comprehensive national fertiliser manual was published back in 2012 by the then Fertiliser Procurement and Distribution Department (which has since transitioned into FISS).
For well over a decade, Nigerian farmers have navigated nutrient management with severely limited resources. This information deficit routinely resulted in low fertiliser-use efficiency, poor crop yields, and declining soil health. Furthermore, both the government and local farmers struggled to see adequate financial returns on heavily subsidised fertiliser investments.
Focus on Strategic Crops and Agroecological Zones
Mohammed Ibrahim, the Executive Secretary of the NADF, explained that while the long-term goal remains a complete input manual, fertilisers were prioritised first due to their high commercial value and technical complexity.
The initial edition of the guide focuses on five strategic staple crops vital to Nigeria’s food security:
- Maize
- Rice
- Wheat
- Cassava
- Cowpea
Rather than acting as an abstract academic text, the manual is designed as a practical, farmer-friendly field guide. It integrates data from five of the nation’s premier agricultural research institutions, spanning all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) across Nigeria’s six distinct agroecological zones.
To ensure usability at the grassroots level, standard scientific metrics have been converted into “bag equivalents” rather than kilograms. The guide also incorporates sustainable practices such as Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM), deep fertiliser placement technologies, and the globally recognized “4Rs” of nutrient stewardship: the right source, right rate, right time, and right place.
Moving forward, the editorial committee has recommended translating the guide into major Nigerian languages and deploying interactive voice response (IVR) digital tools to reach remote farming communities.
Balancing Productivity with Profitability
Receiving the document, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, lauded the initiative but offered a note of caution regarding economic realities. Minister Kyari stressed that productivity boosts must directly translate to financial profitability for the farmer. He warned that if yields increase but production costs outweigh the economic returns, the overarching objective of empowering farmers is defeated.
Kyari also highlighted the decline of state-level agricultural extension systems, which historically served as the vital link between scientific research and farm-level execution. He urged that the new manual be seamlessly integrated with ongoing national soil health programmes and further expanded to help farmers adapt to climate-induced disruptions, such as flooding, drought, and increasingly erratic rainfall patterns.
With Nigeria currently utilizing only about 30 million hectares of its estimated 70 million hectares of arable land, this harmonised guide arrives as a vital strategic asset. By restoring soil fertility, optimizing nutrient delivery, and increasing crop output, the initiative is poised to be a cornerstone in Nigeria’s ongoing campaign for national food security.
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