Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, emphasized the need to prioritize soil health and climate-smart agriculture to establish a resilient food security system. Speaking at the 48th Annual Conference of the Soil Science Society of Nigeria in Abuja, Abdullahi underscored the critical role of soil health and climate-smart practices in sustainable agriculture.
He called for resource allocation for research and development, support for policy and institutional frameworks, private sector investment, and empowerment of smallholder farmers. Abdullahi noted that soil health forms the foundation of sustainable agriculture and that climate-smart agriculture is essential for climate change adaptation.
“Soil has become the world’s most vulnerable resource due to climate change and land degradation,” Abdullahi said. He highlighted the profound impact of these issues on food security, water quality, human health, and livelihoods.
He reiterated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s remarks at the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) about the challenges faced by Northern Nigeria from desert encroachment, coastal flooding in the South, and flood-induced displacement in the middle regions.
Abdullahi outlined solutions, including climate-smart practices like conservation tillage, cover cropping, agroforestry, reforestation, cultivation of climate-resilient crops, integrated pest management, nutrient management, and soil testing.
He emphasized the government’s commitment to food and nutrition security and the importance of prioritizing soil health, supporting climate-smart agriculture, and empowering smallholder farmers.
Senator Abdullahi also highlighted the Nigeria Farmers’ Soil Health Card Scheme (NFSHCS) as a significant intervention for sustainable agriculture. The scheme promotes sustainable soil management and judicious fertilizer use at specific locations and crops. Establishing soil testing laboratories at state and local government levels is planned as part of NFSHCS.
“The NFSHCS aims to improve soil health and fertility, increase agricultural productivity and resilience, enhance food security and nutrition, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve livelihoods and income for small-scale farmers, and better adapt to and mitigate climate change,” Abdullahi added.
