The Federal Government has backs the International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC) for its Soil Values Programme and how it is helping improve farming in Nigeria.
Dr. Kingsley Uzoma, a senior aide to the President on farming and productivity, gave this praise at the launch of a three-day event in Abuja to plan for agriculture in 2026.
About 50 people attended the workshop, coming from the states of Kano, Jigawa, and Bauchi.
The event was supported by IFDC through its Soil Values Programme, which is funded by DGIS.
These three states are the first places in Nigeria where the programme is being tested.
Uzoma said President Bola Tinubu is strongly committed to improving the farming sector.
He explained that areas like the Savannah and Sahel regions have lost a lot of good farmland due to environmental problems, making farming difficult.
“That’s why the government is very pleased with the work being done by the Soil Values Programme,” he said.
Uzoma also talked about other projects like the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Project (L-PRES) and the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), which are also helping agriculture grow.
He stressed that the government wants to work with partners at all levels to secure the future of farming in Nigeria.
He added that the government is open to more partnerships that will help improve agriculture and ensure enough food for everyone.
Mrs. Medinah Ayuba-Fagbemi, who leads the Soil Values Programme in Nigeria, said countries in the Sahel region, like Nigeria, face big problems such as drought, desertification, conflict, and climate change.
She said these problems, along with low investment in farming, have caused poor soil, damaged land, and food shortages. But now, the Soil Values Programme is helping to turn things around.
She said the programme plans to restore 2 million hectares of farmland and help 1.5 million farmers, especially women and young people, become more resilient and successful.
The programme encourages better farming methods, like Integrated Soil Fertility Management and working together as a community to care for the land.
She added that the programme is being run by IFDC with help from other groups like SNV, Wageningen University, and partners like AGRA, IITA, and others.
She said the programme is fully committed to fighting land damage, improving farming, and making sure there is enough food through the 2026 agriculture plan.
Mr. Sanusi Abubakar, the head of the L-PRES project, said they have completed the part of the project focused on livestock health and preventing crises. He called it an important part of their mission.
He said this success is a big step forward and gives them a strong base to build on in the future.
He explained that they are working with African-owned companies in livestock and soil farming to create long-term jobs and business opportunities.
He said this project is a top priority and is directly linked to their goal of making farming more productive and resilient.
Abubakar said their partnerships aim to build strong connections that bring real benefits to local communities and farming in general.
Earlier, Mr. Abdulhamid Umar, who leads the ACReSAL project, praised the teamwork between different farming programmes working to improve agriculture at the grassroots level.
He thanked the Federal Government, the World Bank, and other donors for their support in helping improve soil quality and farm productivity across Nigeria.
