Federal Govt Targets Improved Crop Yields With Harmonised Fertiliser Manual

The federal government has unveiled first harmonised fertiliser recommendation manual in more than a decade, in a move aimed at improving crop yields, restoring soil health and enhancing fertiliser-use efficiency across the country’s farming systems.

The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), in collaboration with Farm Input Support Services (FISS), presented the “Harmonised Fertiliser Recommendations for Nigeria – 2026 Edition” to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari.

The document is expected to serve as the foundation for a broader national input application guide covering multiple crops and agricultural inputs.

Speaking during the presentation, Executive Secretary of NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim, said the initiative was conceived in April 2025 after stakeholders identified the need for a unified national framework for fertiliser application.

He said the effort brought together FISS, the Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria, OCP Group and the International Fertilizer Development Center to develop scientifically validated fertiliser recommendations suited to Nigeria’s farming conditions.

According to Ibrahim, the process involved several technical workshops and validation sessions between June 2025 and February 2026, with participation from agricultural stakeholders and research institutions before the final document was approved by an editorial committee.

The first edition focuses on five strategic crops — maize, rice, wheat, cassava and cowpea — while work is already underway to expand the recommendations to other crops.

“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.

Chairman of the Editorial Committee and Food Systems and Agricultural Advisory Specialist, Professor Christogonus Daudu, said the manual addresses a major gap created since the last national fertiliser recommendation guide was issued in 2012 by the former Fertiliser Procurement and Distribution Department, now FISS. He noted that farmers had operated for years with inadequate guidance on fertiliser rates, nutrient management and application timing, contributing to declining soil quality and poor productivity.

Daudu explained that the manual draws from research conducted by key agricultural 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. He added that the recommendations cover Nigeria’s six agroecological zones, all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The guide also incorporates sustainable soil management practices such as Integrated Soil Fertility Management and the “4Rs” of nutrient stewardship, right source, right rate, right time and right place, alongside deep fertiliser placement technologies designed to improve nutrient efficiency.

To simplify usage at farm level, fertiliser application rates were converted into bag equivalents instead of kilogrammes, while farmer-friendly language, nutrient deficiency guides and extension glossaries were included.

The editorial committee further recommended translating the document into major Nigerian languages and deploying digital extension tools, including interactive voice response systems, to improve access for farmers and bridge extension service gaps across rural communities.

“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.

Responding, Kyari welcomed the initiative but stressed that productivity improvements must translate into economic gains for farmers. He also called for the manual to align with existing soil health programmes and address climate-related challenges such as flooding, drought and erratic rainfall.

The minister expressed concern over the decline of agricultural extension systems at the state level, describing extension workers as critical links between farmers and improved productivity. He noted that despite Nigeria possessing an estimated 70 million hectares of arable land, only about 30 million hectares are currently under cultivation, underscoring the need for improved productivity systems and better input management.

“If we increase yields but farmers spend more than the value they gain, then the economic objective is defeated,” Kyari said.