The Federal Government (FG) has announced plans to train 10,000 young extension agents under its “Soil Doctors” programme by 2027, as part of a broader push to strengthen soil health management and boost agricultural productivity across Nigeria.
The initiative is embedded within a $2.2 million programme launched in partnership with the German government, aimed at improving soil health, enhancing climate resilience and increasing food production nationwide. The project, titled Global Programme Soil Matters, Supporting Soil Health Initiatives (SSHI) in Nigeria, will run for three years from November 2025 to October 2028.
The programme is financed by the Gates Foundation, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, described soil as central to Nigeria’s agricultural future and economic stability. He said the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda focused on achieving food security and positioning Nigeria as a net food exporter.
According to Abdullahi, the government has already rehabilitated approximately 166,000 hectares of degraded land and trained more than 280,000 smallholder farmers in integrated soil fertility management across multiple states.
He further disclosed that the Nigerian Farmers’ Soil Health Scheme will scale up soil testing and mapping across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside plans to establish 774 soil laboratories nationwide to improve farmers’ access to soil analysis services.
On the Soil Doctors programme, the minister said it would equip young extension agents with digital tools and knowledge to provide soil advisory services directly to farmers.
He stated, “Soil is not merely the dirt beneath our feet, it serves as the cornerstone of our food security, economy, and climate resilience. As climate shocks intensify, restoring soil organic matter is not a choice, it is a necessity. A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. Nigeria will not be that nation.”
Project Manager at GIZ Nigeria, Alexis Brakhan, said the initiative is designed to support Nigeria in building a coordinated and data-driven soil management system.
Speaking on behalf of Project Cluster Coordinator Andrea Ruediger, Brakhan noted that the programme will improve access to soil data, strengthen stakeholder coordination and support implementation of a national Soil Health Action Plan.
He added that over 17 organisations across government, research and the private sector are already participating in a “Coalition of the Willing” to promote evidence-based soil management.
Brakhan said, “Healthy soils are the foundation of agricultural production and productivity of future generations of farmers. The Supporting Soil Health Initiative Nigeria is designed to support this ambition in a practical way.”
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