IITA, Stakeholders Launch Regional Hub for Fertilizers, Soil Health 

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria, in collaboration with other stakeholders, has opened a regional hub for fertilizers and soil health, due to concerns over the state of depleted soil which has affected food security and improved yields across West Africa.

During the launch at the IITA, agricultural experts disclosed that the hub is a combination of cutting-edge laboratory testing and training facilities with cross-sector experts to support development of advanced soil health and fertilizer technologies in West Africa and the Sahel.

The experts noted that the efforts will significantly enhance agricultural productivity and sustainable profitability across West Africa with an assurance that by 2033, the hub will help increase yields and income for three million farmers, improve soil health on 1.5 million hectares of land, and equip 1.5 million farmers to adapt to climate change.

In their separate remarks, the experts said the hub leverages a step-change in coordination and collaboration to tackle the critical agricultural production challenges in the region by promoting sustainable soil health and optimum fertilizer practices that will enhance the sustainability and resilience of agricultural production and food security.

The Director-General, IITA, Simeon Ehui, described the regional hub as a groundbreaking step towards revolutionizing agricultural practices in West Africa and the Sahel, by leveraging IITA’s extensive research experience and collaborating with key stakeholders to empower farmers with the knowledge and tools to improve soil health and achieve sustainable food security.

Ehui stated: “In Africa, two-thirds of the land available for agricultural production is considered degraded, resulting in low crop and livestock productivity, poverty, and degradation of natural resources. Average fertilizer application rate is 22 kilograms per hectare, compared to a world average seven-times higher (146 kilograms per hectare), while skyrocketing and highly volatile fertilizer prices reduce their application even further. 

“Moreover, the fertilizers applied are not always suitable to the soil and crops needs, and complementary inputs and advisory services are usually missing, leading to low profitability for the farmer and sometimes even further soil degradation in the long run,” he noted.

The IITA DG explained that the hub combines cutting-edge laboratory testing and training facilities with cross-sector experts, including the private sector, to support development and delivery at scale of advanced soil health and fertilizer technologies.

He said: “It provides access to rigorous internal scientific research and on-farm testing, ensuring practical solutions tailored to farm-specific challenges and thereby delivering significant value to growers.”

Also, the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mrs Massandje Toure-Litse, said the fertilizer and soil health hub is critical for agricultural development in West Africa.

She stated: “By focusing on knowledge sharing, capacity development, and evidence-based practices, it perfectly aligns with the strategic guidance outlined in the Lomé Declaration on Fertilizers and Soil Health in West Africa and the Sahel, adopted on May, 2023, to empower our member states to achieve their sustainable agriculture goals.”

The World Bank Regional Director for Sustainable Development, Chakib Jenane, said the bank is committed to helping achieve Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 13 to eliminate hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, and to take urgent actions to address climate change and its impacts.

He noted: “Integrated soil fertility management and the restoration of soil health are therefore key to ensure the resilience of food systems and achieve food security in West Africa and the Sahel.”

Similarly, the CEO of OCP Africa, Dr Mohamed Jamali, revealed that the company is demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainable agriculture and food systems in Africa, saying contributing to the establishment of the hub underscores its dedication to the goals and unconditioned commitment to making the programme a pilot to be upscaled in all the continent.

The regional hub, open to partnerships with other organisations, research institutions, and private sector entities to achieve a thriving agricultural future in West Africa, is a collaborative effort initiated at the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 8, 2024, which focused on combating soil health decline in the region.

The summit brought together key stakeholders, including IITA, OCP Africa, the African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI), University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), and the World Bank.

The hub is propelled by significant financial commitments, including support from the World Bank ($10 million) over the next five years through the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project, and from OCP Africa over the same period. Its strategy is framed by the priorities of the Fertilizer and Soil Health Roadmap 2023 and the Nairobi Declaration from the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit 2024.

The operationalization of the hub is part of commitments signed in Marrakech in October, 2023, between the World Bank, IITA, and OCP Africa.

Highpoint of the event was the signing of Memorandum of Agreement by the relevant stakeholders on the operationalization and implementation of the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy.