Stakeholders Hold Summit On Soil Information Management System

An expert in the field of agriculture, Dr. Wole Fatunbi from the Forum of Agricultural Research In Africa (FARA) Ghana, has identified low household income, poor social capital, low educational level and Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the factors responsible for food insecurity in Nigeria while also stating that the Federal Government is not sincere with the allocation of the budget of the country for agriculture.

Dr. Fatunbi stated this while delivering a keynote address during the 2024 National Soil Summit held at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR$T) Ibadan .

While speaking at the summit with the theme Soil Information Management: Challenges , Perspectives and Possibilities for Sustainable Land Use and Food Security,  Fatunbi maintained that the Federal Government needs to take pro active measures to tackle food shortages and develop partnership for capacity building .

While enumerating the factors that will boost food security, Dr. Fatunbi stated that partnership for capacity building on soil information science, promotion of the research of experts, enhancement of the existing political will to have soil information system will boost food security.

Other factors, according to him, include the establishment of national soil information system, supporting tools from the soil information system and the development of the policies of researches for data sharing and data use.

The Chief Host and Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo, University Ile-Ife Professor Simeon Bamire, who was represented by the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Akeem Tijani stated that proper education on the importance of soil to healthy crop, advocacy and concrete actions in the field are the best way to maintain healthy soil.

He added that water management strategies formulation and implementation as well as soil survey and land evaluation remain the best way to achieve soil information system.

“The role of IAR$T as an institution with national mandate for soil research over the years has contributed to developing improved soil management technologies affordable and adaptable to agro-ecologies of Nigeria.

“The potentials of the institute in research for development have endeared the government and private organisations to rely on her services in the area of soil and agro chemical testing/validation, soil and water management strategies formulation and implementation as well as soil survey and land validation,” he remarked.

While welcoming the experts in the field of agriculture to the summit, the Director of IAR$T, Professoe Veronica Obatolu emphasised that soil is experiencing a yearly decline despite the availability of improved technologies.

This, according to her, has led to increased food insecurity, environmental challenges and economic crisis.

She however, added that addressing the ongoing issues affecting sustainable land use and agricultural development in the country is crucial at this moment.

“Soil, often overlooked, is the unsung hero of our ecosystem. It provides 95 per cent of our food, filters our water and regulate the climate. Yet soil degradation affects over 33 per cent of global land, and it is affecting human health, food security and economic stability,” she stated.

Professor Obatolu disclosed that the summit represents a pivotal moment in various stakeholders innovative collective journey to enhance soil health and fertility and to promote sustainable agriculture practices and to foster resilient ecosystem and communities.

In his remarks, the Minister of Agriculture, who was represented by the Oyo State coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Florence Kakulu, commended the leadership of IAR$T, especially, Professor Veronica Obatolu for working in the line of the ministry to achieve food sufficiency.

Obatulu urged her to continue working with other sister institutions and collaborate with the Federal Government to achieve food sufficiency.

She said that the theme of the summit is in tandem with the plan of the Federal Government to boost food sufficiency in the country and urged Nigerians to utilise any little space within their homes to plant domestic crops .

The summit was supported by Indorama, GIZ, Soil values, SASAKAWA Africa Association, OCP, Acres SAL and FEPSAN.