…Signs MoU with OSPRE on agric early warning and response system
SAT MAY 23 2026-theGBJournal| The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), in partnership with Farm Input Support Services (FISS), presented the Harmonised Fertiliser Recommendations for Nigeria 2026 Edition to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari.
NADF Executive Secretary, Mohammed Ibrahim, said work on the document began in April 2025 after stakeholders agreed on the need for a unified framework for fertiliser application nationwide.
According to him, the project drew support from FISS, the Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria, OCP Group and the International Fertilizer Development Center.
“We brainstormed and agreed that different entities should develop a national input application manual covering all inputs and crops, but because fertiliser remains the most commercially important and complex input, we decided to begin with fertiliser recommendations,” Ibrahim said.
He said the manual emerged from months of technical reviews and validation sessions involving research institutes and agricultural stakeholders between June 2025 and February 2026.
The first edition focuses on five staple crops including maize, rice, wheat, cassava and cowpea, with plans to expand coverage to other crops.
Chairman of the Editorial Committee and Food Systems and Agricultural Advisory Specialist, Christogonus Daudu, said the publication addresses a gap that has existed since the last national fertiliser guide was issued in 2012 by the former Fertiliser Procurement and Distribution Department, now FISS.
He said the absence of updated guidance left many farmers without clear information on fertiliser rates, timing and nutrient management practices.
“Farmers were not getting optimum yields, fertiliser use efficiency remained low and both government and farmers did not receive adequate returns on subsidy investments,” Daudu said.
Beyond fertiliser recommendations, the document introduces soil management practices such as Integrated Soil Fertility Management and the “4Rs” of nutrient stewardship comprising right source, right rate, right time and right place.
The guide also adapts fertiliser rates into bag equivalents to make it easier for farmers and extension workers to use in the field. It includes nutrient deficiency guides, extension glossaries and simplified language for wider accessibility.
Daudu said recommendations were developed using data from key agricultural research institutions including the Institute for Agricultural Research, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, National Root Crops Research Institute, National Cereals Research Institute and Lake Chad Research Institute. The manual covers all six agroecological zones, the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The committee further proposed translating the manual into major Nigerian languages and deploying digital extension tools, including interactive voice response systems, to improve farmer access.
Responding, Sen. Kyari welcomed the initiative but warned that higher yields must also translate into profit for farmers.
“If we increase yields but farmers spend more than the value they gain, then the economic objective is defeated,” he said.
The minister said fertiliser recommendations should reflect both soil realities and economic returns, particularly in degraded farming areas.
He also expressed concern over the decline in agricultural extension services across states, describing extension workers as critical to improving farm productivity.
Kyari added that the manual should align with ongoing soil health programmes and address climate pressures such as flooding, drought and irregular rainfall.
Despite Nigeria’s estimated 70 million hectares of arable land, he noted that only about 30 million hectares are currently under cultivation, underscoring the need for more efficient production systems
Meanwhile, NADF and the Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE), Nigeria’s National Centre for the Coordination of Early Warning and Response Mechanisms, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening agricultural resilience and improving food security across the country.
The agreement provides a framework for collaboration between both institutions on the development of a multi-hazard Agricultural Early Warning and Response System designed to support timely intervention in addressing threats to agricultural productivity and food systems.
Speaking during the signing ceremony at the NADF headquarters in Abuja, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NADF, Mohammed A. Ibrahim, said the partnership reflects the Fund’s commitment to building stronger support systems for farmers and agribusinesses operating within increasingly difficult conditions.
He noted that climate variability, environmental degradation, pest outbreaks and market disruptions continue to pose serious risks to agricultural production and investment in the sector.
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