The International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) through its Soil Values programme has trained 50 extension agents and lead farmers in Bauchi State on soil restoration, conservation techniques and integrated soil fertility management.
The two-day training, held under the DGIS-funded programme, follows similar sessions in Kano and Jigawa states.
The initiative targets the restoration of 800,000 hectares of degraded farmland in northern Nigeria, directly benefiting 600,000 smallholder farmers.
Country coordinator of the Soil Values programme in Nigeria, Medinah Fagbemi, said the project seeks to improve soil fertility and productivity across two million hectares of agricultural land in the Sahel while strengthening the resilience of 1.5 million farmers, with a focus on women and youth.
“The Soil Values program aims to improve soil fertility and productivity of Two million hectares of agricultural land in the Sahel, while strengthening the resilience to climate shocks and well-being of 1.5 million farmers, with a particular focus on women and youth. In North Nigeria, we hope to restore 800,000 hectares, directly benefiting 600,000 smallholder farmers,” she said.
She added that the Bauchi participants would transfer knowledge to about 20,000 smallholder farmers in Jama’are, Shira, Itas Gadau, Toro, Zaki and Ningi local government areas, covering 21 communities.
Mrs Fagbemi noted that the Soil Values consortium is collaborating with the Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme and World Bank-funded projects such as ACReSAL and L-PRES to build capacity in integrated soil fertility management, soil and water conservation and soil health management.
The monitoring, evaluation, learning and sharing (MELS) coordinator of the programme, Joshua Arogunyo, said the initiative aims to reduce yield gaps, restore degraded lands and encourage sustainable soil health practices across 10 states in northern Nigeria.
“The thrust of the programme is to reduce the yield gap, improve soil fertility, and make farmers more deliberate about giving back to the soil to ensure long-term productivity and food security,” he said. “We are implementing it across the Sahelian zone of Nigeria because that is where land degradation is most severe,” he said.
Some participants, Aliyu Safiyanu and Helen Ciroma, said the training would encourage good agricultural practices.
They noted that skills such as composting and Bokashi techniques would enable farmers, particularly women, to improve soil fertility and increase productivity.
The Soil Values programme is a €100 million initiative funded over 10 years by the Kingdom of the Netherlands through its directorate general for international cooperation (DGIS).
It is implemented by a consortium led by IFDC in partnership with SNV, Wageningen University and Research and knowledge partners including AGRA, CIFOR-ICRAF, IITA, ISRIC and the International Water Management Institute.
