Kano Farmers To Benefit From 2m Hectares Of Dutch Soil Fund

Kano is one of the states in Northern Nigeria to benefit from the soil value programme funded by the Dutch Directorate of International Cooperation (DGIS) in which the soil fertility of 2 million hectares of land will be improved for the benefit of 1.5 million smallholder farmers.

The programme is sponsored to take place in the Sahel region of West Africa and will cover Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Northern Nigeria.

This was made known yesterday in Kano during the launch of the Soil Value Project by the country director of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Yusuf Dramani while delivering an opening address.

He explained that the soil value programme funded by the DGIS from 2024 to 2033 will be for the sustainable management of soil fertility and soil health by increasing food production and improving the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate change and it’s shock in the countries benefiting from the project.

“Over the next 10 years, Soil Values will ensure that sustainable soil fertility management will be a mainstay of Sahelian and Guinea Savanna farming systems, improving the soil fertility and productive capacity of 2 million hectares of farmland in the Sahel and the resilience and well-being of 1.5 million small-scale food producers, particularly women, in four implementation countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Northern Nigeria.

“Soil Values will not be a stand-alone programme, but will work through existing projects, programmes, policies, organizations and national programmes.

“This leverage will be instrumental in scaling delivery of innovative solutions and technologies to promote soil management, bolster economic value for soil resources and enhance agricultural productivity,” he stated.

Representing the Kano State governor, the programme coordinator of Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), Dr Dahiru Hashim expressed gratitude for the support provided by partners including DGIS and promised to harness innovation and knowledge exchange to address the challenges facing soil resources in the state.