President Bola Tinubu has unveiled the Nigerian Farmers' Soil Health Scheme (NFSHS) — a groundbreaking programme designed to transform agricultural productivity and lower production costs for smallholder farmers and agri-SMEs through science-based soil management.
Launched in Abuja under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the initiative seeks to end the era of guesswork in fertiliser use by introducing data-driven soil testing and tailored fertiliser recommendations based on specific crop and location needs.
Represented by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Mustapha Saliu, President Tinubu said the scheme would help farmers maximise yields, reduce waste, and increase income — a vital step toward achieving sustainable food security and agricultural self-sufficiency.
In his address, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, described soil health as the "quiet partner in every harvest," stressing that years of poor soil management had limited productivity for millions of small farmers.
He explained that the NFSHS aims to empower farmers with practical knowledge of their soil's nutrient composition, helping them apply the right fertiliser in the right quantity, thereby improving crop output and reducing unnecessary input costs.
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"The Nigerian Farmers' Soil Health Scheme is here to help farmers understand their soil better — what nutrients it has, what it lacks, and how to treat it right," Abdullahi said. "It takes away the guesswork and gives farmers simple, useful advice to grow more, spend less, and protect the land."
The initiative will establish 774 soil testing laboratories across all local government areas, provide personalised soil health cards for farmers, and introduce a digital soil information platform (NiSIS) to consolidate data for better decision-making and policy planning.
So far, pilot soil assessments have been conducted in 11 states across six geopolitical zones, with nationwide rollout planned in phases.
President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Arc. Kabir Ibrahim, commended the initiative as a timely intervention that will empower farmers and agribusinesses to make smarter, more profitable farming decisions.
Industry experts say the programme has the potential to reposition Nigeria's agriculture sector by improving productivity, lowering input costs for agri-SMEs, and promoting climate-smart farming practices that secure the nation's food future.
