Nigeria launches first harmonised fertiliser guide in 14 years to boost farming efficiency

The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), in a bid to promote standardised farming practices, has launched a comprehensive, nationwide fertiliser manual designed to maximise crop production and enforce critical safety protocols across Nigeria. This new harmonised guide bridges the gap between modern agricultural science and local farming communities, providing a unified framework to protect both food security and environmental health.

The NADF, working with the Farm Input Support Services (FISS), presented the Harmonised Fertiliser Recommendations for Nigeria to Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Abubakar Kyari. The agency described the publication as the first phase of a broader national input application guide covering all crops and farm inputs.

Initiated in April 2025 after stakeholders identified the need for a unified national fertiliser application framework, the project brought together FISS, the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria, OCP Group, and the International Fertiliser Development Centre. Together, these bodies developed scientifically validated fertiliser recommendations tailored specifically to Nigeria’s farming conditions.

Focus on high-value commercial inputs

Mohammed Ibrahim, Executive Secretary, NADF, noted that while the overarching goal remains a comprehensive manual, fertiliser was prioritised because it is the most commercially important and complex input. The development process involved a series of technical workshops and validations from June 2025 through February 2026, involving research institutes and agricultural stakeholders, before an editorial committee finalised the document.

The first edition covers five strategic crops: maize, rice, wheat, cassava, and cowpea. Plans are already underway to extend the recommendations to other crops. Christogonus Daudu, Food Systems and Agricultural Advisory Specialist and Chairman of the Editorial Committee, said the new guide fills a major gap left since the last national fertiliser manual was issued in 2012 by the then Fertiliser Procurement and Distribution Department, which has now become FISS.

For over a decade, farmers have operated with limited information regarding fertiliser rates, application timing, and nutrient management. This information gap has consistently led to poor yields, inefficient fertiliser use, and declining soil quality. Daudu explained that farmers were failing to achieve optimum yields, fertiliser-use efficiency remained low, and both the government and farmers were denied adequate returns on subsidy investments.

Integration across all agroecological zones

The manual is designed as a practical field guide for extension agents and farmers rather than just a technical document. Recommendations were developed using data from major agricultural research institutions, including the Institute for Agricultural Research, the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, the National Root Crops Research Institute, the National Cereals Research Institute, and the Lake Chad Research Institute.

The guide incorporates fertiliser recommendations across Nigeria’s six agroecological zones, spanning all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Beyond standard fertiliser rates, it introduces sustainable soil management principles such as Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) and the “4Rs” of nutrient stewardship: right source, right rate, right time, and right place. It also features deep fertiliser placement technologies aimed at improving nutrient efficiency.

To make the document usable at the farm level, fertiliser rates were converted into bag equivalents rather than kilogrammes. The editorial committee also added extension glossaries, nutrient deficiency guides, and farmer-friendly language. To bridge persistent extension gaps, the committee recommended translating the guide into major Nigerian languages and deploying digital extension tools, such as interactive voice response systems.

Balancing agricultural productivity with profitability

Minister Kyari welcomed the initiative but stressed the need to balance productivity gains with profitability. He cautioned that if yields increase but farmers spend more than the economic value they gain, the overarching financial objective is defeated. Fertiliser recommendations must account for cost-benefit considerations and local soil conditions, particularly in degraded landscapes.

The minister also lamented the decline of agricultural extension systems at the state level, describing extension workers as historically critical links between farmers and productivity improvements. He stated that the manual should be harmonised with ongoing soil health programmes and expanded to address climate-related challenges such as flooding, drought, and erratic rainfall patterns.

Despite Nigeria possessing about 70 million hectares of arable land, only about 30 million hectares are currently utilised. This reality underscores the critical need for improved productivity systems. Ultimately, the manual is positioned to become a key instrument in Nigeria’s food security strategy by improving nutrient management, restoring soil fertility, and raising yields across major staple crops.