The Federal Government has pledged to continue to support the Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (NISS) and other public and private entities to ensure proper management of soil and water to achieve food security.
Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture, said this at the Experts’ Dialogue in commemoration of the World Soil Day (WSD), on Tuesday in Abuja.
WSD is commemorated annually on Dec. 5, and the theme for 2023 is “Soil and Water: A Source of Life.”
Abdullahi, who was represented by Mr Tanimu Ibrahim, the Director of Planning and Research in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, expressed concern over the contribution of human activities to soil degradation.
He described the theme for 2023 as apt, considering the current challenges to mitigating the impact of Climate Change.
According to him, bringing experts together for discussion will definitely help in improving the management of soil and water, as sources of life.
Also, Koffy Kouacou of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Representative, said soil had an extraordinary capacity to store, transform, and recycle nutrients.
According to Kouacou, out of the 18 essential nutrients to crops, 15 come from healthy soils.
He however, said that one-third of our soils are degraded due to unsustainable human activities, biodiversity loss, desertification, and climate change.
“Soil nutrient imbalance caused by the under-use, misuse, and over-use of nutrients has been identified as one of the main global threats to our soils, and our health.
“FAO is intensifying its work on agricultural innovation, thereby supporting efforts to generate more evidence on how related best practices can contribute to transform our agri-food systems and sustainably manage our land.
“We remain committed to strengthening our engagement even further, to keep soil alive by protecting soil biodiversity,” he said.
Prof. Ayoade Ogunkunle, President and Chairman of NISS, said it was estimated that 90 per cent of earth soil would be degraded by 2050.
Ogunkunle said soil and water were interconnected resources that needed integrated management.
