OCP Africa urges adoption of crop-specific fertilizers

The push to strengthen Nigeria’s domestic food production and reduce its heavy dependence on food imports will require a decisive shift away from “one-size-fits-all” farming practices toward the use of crop-specific fertilisers, Managing Director ,OCP Africa Fertilizers Nigeria Limited, Caleb Usoh, has said.

Usoh stressed the urgent need for greater technical precision in the country’s agricultural sector, warning that Nigeria must improve how it manages soil nutrition if it hopes to close the widening gap between food supply and demand. Nigeria is already facing mounting pressure on its food system. Wheat consumption alone is projected to rise to nearly 6.8 million tons, while yields of key staples such as maize and rice have been affected by rising input costs. At the same time, global wheat production is expected to reach record levels in the 2025/26 marketing year, highlighting the stark contrast between global output and Nigeria’s limited domestic production.

According to Usoh, while specializsed fertilizer formulations exist for several crops grown in Nigeria, their adoption remains far below the level required to transform agricultural productivity.

 “Going forward in agricultural production, the best practice is to make sure that you have customized fertilisers that meet the nutrient requirements of each plant and each geography,” Usoh said.

He explained that the company has been working with research institutions to determine the precise combinations of nutrients—particularly nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium—required for crops grown in different Nigerian soils.

 “We’ve done this for rice, maize, tomato and cocoa. Wheat is also one of our areas of focus because it is highly consumed and the federal government is pushing to increase local production,” he said.

Despite these efforts, translating research into practical field adoption remains a major challenge. Usoh noted that many farmers and even government-supported agricultural programmes still rely heavily on generic fertiliser formulations such as 20-10-10 or 15-15-15, which may not deliver optimal yields for specific crops.

He pointed out that wheat production illustrates the challenge clearly. Although interest in cultivating wheat has grown in Nigeria over the past decade, the crop does not yet have the long history of large-scale cultivation seen with maize or rice. As a result, many smallholder farmers—the backbone of Nigeria’s agricultural sector—are still learning how best to cultivate it.

 “I don’t think wheat adoption will pick up momentum as fast as other crops we have focused on for many years. Most of those cultivating wheat are smallholder farmers who are still relying on familiar technologies. We need renewed efforts to train them and expose them to the available technologies, including the right inputs and appropriate farming methods,” Usoh said.

He therefore called on government agencies to play a more proactive role in promoting the use of specialized fertilizers, particularly through public agricultural programmes.

 “As a government, if I’m sponsoring a maize programme, for example, I shouldn’t simply say I’m providing fertilizer and then supply generic products like 20-10-10 or 15-15-15. Those are broad formulations. Government should lead by ensuring that the exact fertiliser recommended for maize is what farmers receive. That is the only way to drive adoption of specialty fertilizers,” he said.

The nation’s rapidly growing population—expanding at more than three percent annually—combined with urbanization and increasing demand for processed wheat products such as bread and pasta, has intensified pressure on the country’s agricultural value chain.

Although wheat yields have shown modest improvements in states such as Jigawa State and Kano State, Nigeria still imports the bulk of the grain it consumes. Usoh believes closing this gap will require stronger coordination among fertilizer suppliers, government institutions and agricultural extension workers.

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 “Whether we have accomplished a lot in wheat and other crops of interest, I would say not much. There is still a lot of room for improvement if Nigeria is to achieve food security and agricultural self-sufficiency,” he admitted. The push for improved fertiliser use also aligns with broader continental commitments. In 2024, African Heads of State endorsed the Nairobi Declaration on Fertilizer and Soil Health following the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit 2024 held in Nairobi between May 7 and 9.

The declaration marked a major step toward improving access to affordable, high-quality organic and inorganic fertilisers across Africa while strengthening soil health management.

Although private sector investments of more than $15 billion have significantly expanded fertilizer manufacturing capacity in Africa in recent years, much of the continent’s estimated 30 million metric tons of annual mineral fertilizer production is still exported. As a result, many African countries remain heavily dependent on imported fertilisers—particularly non-phosphate-based products—leaving them vulnerable to global price shocks and supply disruptions.

To address this challenge, African governments have committed to expanding local fertiliser production and blending by harnessing the continent’s natural resources. They also plan to deploy financial instruments such as trade credit guarantees, working capital facilities and targeted subsidies to reduce costs and strengthen fertiliser supply chains.The declaration further emphasised the need to increase the use of both mineral and organic fertilizers to restore soil health, improve crop productivity and enhance climate resilience across the continent. Among its key commitments is an ambitious goal to triple the domestic production and distribution of certified fertilisers by 2034, while ensuring that at least 70 per cent of Africa’s smallholder farmers receive tailored agronomic recommendations for efficient fertilizer use. African leaders also pledged to strengthen research into fertiliser technologies, revive the African Centre for Fertilizer Development in Harare, encourage local manufacturing using available raw materials and leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area to double intra-African fertilizer trade by 2034.Additional measures include establishing digital information systems for fertilizer recommendations, improving soil testing and monitoring tools, strengthening extension services and supporting agro-dealers and small enterprises that deliver farm inputs to rural communities.

To finance these ambitions, leaders also committed to fully operationalizing the Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism to support fertilizer production, distribution infrastructure and farmer access to yield-enhancing technologies.

The summit also called for the creation of a dedicated soil health fund to finance research, innovation and capacity building, while encouraging governments to integrate soil health priorities into national agricultural investment plans.