The Federal Government, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Obafemi Awolowo University, among other stakeholders, have emphasized the need for efficient management of phosphorus in soil nutrients to increase farmers’ yields as well as boost food production in the country.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, stated this, declaring open the 2026 Fertilizer Summit on Phosphorus and Food Security in Nigeria, organised by the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T) in partnership with OCP Africa and Obafemi Awolowo University.

Emphasising the importance of phosphorus in soil nutrients, he said phosphorus plays an essential role in root expansion, nutrient transport in plant tissues, rapid seedling growth, reproductive development, seed production, and the overall output of numerous staple crops.

The Minister acknowledged that phosphorus management poses serious challenge in Nigerian farming operations, as its accessibility is limited by soil composition, nutrient exhaustion, suboptimal fertilizer practices, and insufficient availability of soil analysis services and technical guidance.

He urged agriculture experts to support in guaranteeing that phosphorus incorporated into soil becomes accessible to plants, generates higher crop yields for farmers, and delivers maximum return on every naira spent on fertilizer.

He harped that fertilizer should not be treated as a mere commodity for distribution, but as a critical agricultural input whose effectiveness is contingent upon scientific understanding of soil composition, crop needs, nutrient accessibility, and sound management practices.

While calling for a stronger collaboration between IART, OCP Africa and the ministry, the Minister reiterated that the summit is a valuable platform to reinforce the importance of phosphorus management.

He said, “We must recognize that phosphorus transcends being merely another fertilizer component. It constitutes a vital nutrient whose judicious management can determine crop establishment, yield potential, farm economic viability, and agricultural system sustainability.”

The Executive Director of IAR&T, Prof. Gabriel A. Oluwatosin, also emphasized the importance of phosphorus in achieving food security, saying there is no fertilizer without the critical nutrient

He said phosphorus is non-negotiable because every plant needs phosphorus for DNA, ATP for energy transfer, and root development, saying phosphorus is P in N-P-K fertilizer.

He said “It’s estimated that about half of current global food production depends on phosphorus fertilizer, and there is no substitute for it in food production.”

He regretted that soils in sub-saharan Africa are being minted for decades without replacement as yield s has remained low because of deficiency in phosphorus

The ED revealed that globally, phosphorus footprint of food is projected to be 1.5 times higher in 2050 than in 2010 because of population growth and more animal protein in diets, adding that overuse of the nutrients in developed countries as led to water pollution while low usage in the global north has led to soil depletion.

While emphasizing on the efficient use of phosphorus through soil testing, he stated that food security without phosphorus security doesn’t work, hence the solution is not finding more rock forever, but keeping the phosphorus we already have in circulation longer and getting it to the soils that actually need it.

The Vice Chancellor of OAU, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, in his welcome address emphasized that with the increasing demand for food due to population there is need for deliberate investment in resources that sustain agricultural productivity.

He stated that among the resources is the need for healthy soil, saying while attention is been given to improved seeds, mechanization, irrigation, and market access, there is need to know that agricultural productivity ultimately depends on the nutrients available in the soil.

He called on government to continue to create enabling policies that support farmers and encourage investment in the agricultural sector., adding that research institutions and universities must also generate innovative solutions and provide scientific evidence for decision-making, while the fertilizer industry ensure access to quality products. Extension services must bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and field application.