On October 14, 2025, the Federal Government launched the Nigerian Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme (NFSHS) in Abuja, a key initiative under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to enhance crop production and ensure sustainable food security. Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi, described the scheme as a transformative effort to address low productivity and high costs from inefficient fertiliser use through tailored, crop-specific recommendations.
The NFSHS aims to improve soil health, increase yields, and promote climate-resilient farming. It includes establishing 774 soil-testing laboratories nationwide, issuing personalized soil health cards, and developing the Nigeria Soil Information System (NiSIS) for data-driven decisions. Expected benefits include optimized fertiliser use, higher farmer incomes, reduced environmental pollution, and enhanced food security. Sabi projected doubled yields for crops like rice, wheat, maize, and onions.
The scheme, supported by partners like GIZ, the World Bank, and IITA, adopts a Public-Private Partnership model, with stakeholder engagement and training already underway in states like Oyo and Kano.
Sabi emphasized soil health’s role in agricultural resilience, aligning the initiative with the 2024 Nairobi Declaration. The program builds on the successes of the 2016 Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, which revived blending plants and reduced fertiliser costs.
