The Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel has advocated the need for soil specific fertiliser application to boost crop yield.

The Regional Hub stated this in a Press release issued at the 2026 fertilizer summit held in Abuja..

According to the Hub, the 2025 site-specific nutrient recommendation results for maize and rice in northern Nigeria showed that phosphorus requirements could range from zero to more than 60kg of P₂O₅ per hectare within the same target area.

It mentioned that the findings demonstrated that uniform fertilizer rates may not meet crop nutrient needs efficiently, underscoring the need for tailored recommendations to local soil conditions and crop requirements.

The release stressed that improving phosphorus management will require more than agronomic research alone, but also depends on accessible soil information, appropriate fertilizer formulations, effective quality assurance, extension services and investments that translate scientific evidence into practical recommendations.

It further stated that soil data, locally adapted fertilizer recommendations and coordinated investment can strengthen agricultural productivity adding that smarter phosphorus management can help Nigeria improve fertilizer efficiency and food security.

Highlighting the theme of the summit “Phosphorus and Food Security: Challenges in Food Production Systems in Nigeria,” the press release mentioned that the workshop builds on a National dialogue initiated in October 2025 and seeks to advance practical solutions to longstanding fertilizer and soil-fertility challenges.

The statement explained that phosphorus is essential for root development, crop growth and grain formation but its availability to crops varies considerably depending on soil properties, farming practices and local growing conditions.

“This is a great challenge for farmers as applying too little phosphorus can limit crop productivity, while applying more than crops require can increase production costs without delivering corresponding yield benefits.”

“The challenge is therefore not simply increasing fertilizer use, but ensuring that farmers have access to appropriate fertilizers and reliable guidance on where, when and how much to apply,” the release emphasized.

The Regional hub however disclosed that it is contributing to this agenda by strengthening the evidence and decision-support systems needed for more efficient nutrient management

It said they are focused on three interconnected areas: improving soil information, developing locally adapted nutrient recommendations and supporting digital advisory tools that help translate research into practical fertilizer decisions.

The statement further disclosed that the hub is developing enhanced digital soil maps that include key soil properties such as available phosphorus, adding that by combining existing soil records with new field observations, the initiative seeks to provide more detailed information on nutrient availability and soil conditions.

This information according to them will support more precise fertilizer recommendations, agricultural planning and investment decisions.

The statement added that the Hub is also supporting national soil information systems in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo, while contributing to the development of a regional soil information platform that will improve access to soil data and decision-support resources.

The Hub is also supporting the development of site-specific nutrient recommendations using evidence from field trials and historical crop-response records.

Dr Bello Muhammad Shehu, Senior Agronomist Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel said the Hub is building a coordinated national response

Speaking during the Hub session at the Fertilizer summit the incoming Director of the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel Bastiaan Huesken stated that said since the Abuja 2020 declaration phosphorus has been the nutrient that most often limits yields in Nigerian soils, and in 2026 it is still the most expensive nutrient to procure.

Getting it to the right fields, in the right form and at the right time, is now a question of policy and not only of agronomy

He stated that the Hub was created by ECOWAS and its partners to help countries turn soil data into recommendations, and recommendations into products and advice that farmers can use.

“Nigeria hosts the Hub, and Nigeria is where we want to show results. We work through your national technical team, and alongside the Nigeria Farmer Soil Health Scheme team. We come to this summit to listen, We contribute soil maps, trials and our regional networks, which are all at Nigeria’s disposal”, he stated.