FG inaugurates committee on Soil Health Card Scheme
Olaseinde Gbenga, Abuja
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, CON, has inaugurated the National Executive Committee on the Implementation of the Nigeria Farmers’ soil health card scheme to enhance agricultural productivity and ensure a food-secured future for the country.
He made this disclosure during the epoch-making event held at the Ministry’s conference room, in Abuja recently.
According to the Minister, the inauguration of the Committee was a vital initiative that would shape the future of Nigeria’s agriculture and would stand as a pivotal initiative aimed at integrating principles of agroecology and regenerative agriculture, in line with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for a ‘strongly revived and vibrant agricultural sector towards a transformed food system.’
He noted that the Nigeria Farmers’ Soil Health Card Scheme (NFSHCS), administered by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) for Sustainable Agriculture, would emphasise the promotion of site-specific and crop-specific sustainable soil health management practices, along with the careful application of fertilisers.
He emphasised that the objectives of the initiative include: define appropriate soil fertility management practices, improve soil health and fertility, improve extension and advice on fertility management and fertilisation, employment generation for rural youth amongst others.
Sen. Abdullahi commended the committee members for their dedication and expertise, stressing that their collective efforts would be instrumental in shaping policies, programs, and initiatives that would promote sustainable soil management practices.
He stated that the programme was expected to span over a period of four 4 years in the first instance, pointing out that the activities from now will culminate with the formal launch of the Soil Health Card Scheme by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the last quarter of this year following his final approval. I therefore want to charge this committee to work collaboratively to achieve our goals, engage stakeholders, foster partnerships, drive innovation and knowledge sharing, and ensure inclusivity and equity for a successful Soil Health programme under the Renewed Hope Food Security initiatives.
In his remarks, Director Agricultural land and Climate Change Management Services Department, Mr. Oshadiya Olanipekun revealed that the establishment of soil testing laboratories would be created across the 774 local government areas, which would invariably create job opportunities, introduce a single window approach for collection and building of databases to be able to identify the right farmers, amongst others.
In his goodwill message, the representative of Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ, Dr. Andrea Ruediger commended the Government and the Ministry for the bold and proactive step, he stressed that for many decades there had been talk about the need for farmers to have the soil testing and today it has come to reality.
