Arabfields, Sana Dib, Financial Correspondent, Johannesburg, South Africa —  Soil degradation represents one of the most pressing challenges confronting agricultural systems across West Africa, where it exerts a direct and profound influence on both food security and public revenues. While the continent’s most densely populated subregion faces steadily rising food demand driven by population growth and urbanization, the health of its soils has become a critical determinant of long-term productivity and economic stability. Without sustained intervention, the decline in soil fertility undermines crop yields, exacerbates nutritional deficiencies and imposes significant fiscal burdens on governments through lost agricultural output and greater reliance on food imports.

Dr Asseta Diallo, an expert in the field of agricultural development economics and sustainable soil management in Africa, has highlighted these interconnections, stressing that proactive measures are essential to reverse current trends and secure a resilient future for the region’s farming communities.

She has indicated that the Nairobi Declaration, adopted by African countries in May 2024, constitutes a pivotal advancement in tackling soil fertility issues across the continent. This agreement commits nations to restoring at least 30 percent of degraded lands and to tripling the production and distribution of certified organic and inorganic fertilizers by 2034. Building upon the Abuja Summit of 2006, which recognised the continent’s exceptionally low fertiliser application rates of approximately eight kilograms per hectare compared with over 100 kilograms in other global regions and set a target of 50 kilograms per hectare by 2015, the declaration adopts a more comprehensive framework. Progress since Abuja has been notable yet insufficient, with continental averages now ranging between 20 and 22 kilograms per hectare. Several countries have introduced subsidy schemes and strengthened private-sector involvement in input distribution, while fertiliser-blending facilities have expanded in nations such as Ghana, Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso, thereby improving availability for smallholder farmers.

Nevertheless, the expert has observed that the 2006 objectives were not fully achieved, prompting the broader vision enshrined in the Nairobi Declaration. The updated approach extends beyond simply raising mineral fertiliser use to encompass an integrated strategy for soil health. This includes the promotion of organic fertilisers, soil amendments, systematic restoration of degraded areas and improved access for producers to tailored technologies and financing mechanisms. In West Africa specifically, where evaluation remains premature given the declaration’s adoption less than two years ago, encouraging developments are already visible. The African Fertiliser Financing Mechanism, supported by the African Development Bank under the African Union umbrella, has begun alleviating financial barriers within the sector. Regional economic communities, including the Economic Community of West African States, have started adapting the continental action plan to local realities before delegating responsibilities to member states.

National-level initiatives demonstrate concrete momentum in several West African countries. Nigeria, for instance, has formulated a dedicated national soil health roadmap, while Burkina Faso and Mali are pursuing similar processes, and Senegal benefits from targeted support efforts. These strategies aim to translate continental commitments into context-specific plans that take account of varying agroecological conditions and socioeconomic priorities. Complementing these policy frameworks are large-scale implementation programmes, such as the Soil Values initiative funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Operating across Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria, the programme seeks to rehabilitate and enhance the fertility of roughly two million hectares of farmland while strengthening the resilience and livelihoods of approximately 1.5 million smallholder producers, with particular attention to women and youth. Such undertakings illustrate the practical translation of high-level commitments into tangible outcomes that directly bolster productive capacity and community well-being.

Technical innovations further underscore the region’s evolving response to soil challenges. In Burkina Faso, customised fertiliser formulations optimised for maize and rice have been developed to maximise agronomic efficiency and minimise nutrient losses. Nigeria has recorded substantial advances in establishing and organising value chains for organic fertilisers, thereby diversifying input options and promoting sustainable nutrient cycling. These developments reflect a growing recognition that soil management must integrate scientific precision with practical accessibility to deliver measurable gains in productivity.

When examining the distinct national strategies pursued by Nigeria, Mali and Niger, the expert has identified both convergences and notable divergences. These three nations now designate soil health as a strategic national priority, in line with the continental framework established through the Nairobi Declaration. Implementation nevertheless varies according to each country’s unique circumstances. Niger remains in the initial phases of its efforts, where celebrations of World Soil Day in collaboration with government authorities have catalysed the drafting of a national action plan. The country confronts acute land degradation within a fragile Sahelian setting, compounded by an underdeveloped private sector and constrained technical capacities that hinder input availability, quality assurance and farmer support services.

By contrast, Nigeria possesses a more mature ecosystem in which the private sector assumes a central role. Dozens of industrial blending facilities enable the production of crop-specific fertiliser formulas, thereby improving suitability and accessibility for producers. Prominent enterprises invest not only in manufacturing but also in research and dissemination of technical solutions, fostering a robust linkage between industry, science and policy. Mali occupies an intermediate position, having historically ranked among the subregion’s leaders in fertiliser utilisation thanks to well-structured national actors that facilitate reliable supply chains. Organic fertiliser production is expanding progressively in both Nigeria and Mali, contributing to soil structure enhancement.

Fertiliser application rates illustrate these disparities clearly. Averages hover around 10 kilograms per hectare in Niger, approximately 18 kilograms per hectare in Nigeria, and somewhat higher levels in Mali’s intensive production zones. These variations highlight the decisive influence of a vibrant private sector, which accelerates progress in input access and innovation. Beyond volume increases, she has insisted on the paramount importance of fertiliser quality and agronomic efficacy to guarantee genuine returns on investment for farmers. Institutional and scientific anchoring proves equally vital, as evidenced by Nigeria’s academic institutions that actively advance soil fertility research and bridge the gap between laboratory insights and field application.

Financing frameworks reveal further distinctions among the three countries. At the continental scale, the African Fertiliser Financing Mechanism, originating from Abuja commitments and housed at the African Development Bank, commenced meaningful operations around 2018 with modest resources aimed at supporting private-sector activities in production and distribution. Interventions have remained limited and selective, focusing primarily on selected nations such as Nigeria during specific periods. Within the focal countries, public subsidy programmes constitute the dominant financing tool. Following 2006, most West African governments embraced this model to ease producer access to inputs, with Nigeria, Mali and Niger each deploying variants of varying scope and sophistication.

Outcomes have proven mixed despite substantial budgetary commitments, as productivity improvements have frequently lagged behind expectations. Nigeria has refined its subsidy governance through electronic targeting systems designed to minimise leakages and enhance beneficiary precision, alongside a presidential initiative that imports raw materials, backs local blending units and redistributes subsidised fertilisers. Mali maintains relatively structured subsidy arrangements supported by dynamic supply networks. Niger encounters more acute budgetary and logistical limitations, intensified by the Covid-19-induced surge in global fertiliser prices that strained governmental capacity to sustain broad programmes and prompted many producers to shift toward organic alternatives.

Organic fertilisers contribute meaningfully to soil structure and nutrient retention. Yet the expert has underscored that sole reliance upon them proves inadequate amid rapid population expansion. Scientific evidence affirms the necessity of an integrated approach that combines organic and mineral inputs: organics enhance retention and biological activity, while minerals supply essential elements for substantial yield increases. Crop-specific patterns further differentiate usage, with higher applications observed in cash crops and maize, whereas traditional cereals such as millet and sorghum receive minimal fertilisation.

Several structural barriers continue to impede the widespread adoption and scaling of soil health interventions throughout West Africa. Financing emerges as the foremost constraint, given that restoring soils, innovating appropriate technologies, organising input supply chains and delivering farmer support demand substantial, sustained investment. The Soil Values programme, for example, with its 100 million euro commitment over a decade, addresses only four countries and two million hectares, a scale that remains modest relative to regional requirements and illustrates both the magnitude of needs and the shortfall in available resources. Numerous analyses indicate that the economic and social costs of inaction far exceed those of timely investment, since soil degradation directly diminishes agricultural productivity, compromises food security and nutrition, and ultimately erodes public revenues through reduced fiscal contributions from the sector.

Farmer awareness and information access represent another critical hurdle. Many producers lack precise soil diagnostics and fail to appreciate fully the economic ramifications of ongoing degradation. Absent clear insights into nutrient deficiencies, investments in corrective practices remain subdued. Technical capacity deficits at the national level compound these issues, as integrated fertility management necessitates expertise in agronomy, formulation, analysis and policy formulation. Capacity-building investments have trained numerous scientists at master’s and doctoral levels, many of whom now occupy influential roles in research, government, development and private entities.

Governance and market organisation pose additional obstacles. Even where strategies exist, implementation often suffers from inter-ministerial coordination gaps, inadequate monitoring and evaluation or excessive dependence on public subsidies. Physical access to inputs in remote rural zones remains problematic, as lengthy travel distances deter adoption. Strengthening networks of local private distributors thus becomes indispensable. Youth engagement offers a promising avenue for innovation, given their growing presence in the agricultural workforce. According to the expert, young people participate across value chains as service providers, organic fertiliser producers, input distributors, drone operators for soil mapping and digital extension agents employing artificial intelligence. Targeted programmes encompassing training, start-up support, youth associations and innovation showcases at events such as International Soil Day aim to embed technical knowledge in the next generation while generating economically viable opportunities that render agriculture attractive and profitable.

National soil health strategies increasingly align with the regional Roadmap for Fertiliser and Soil Health developed under the leadership of the Economic Community of West African States and Sahelian partners in 2023. This roadmap, prepared in anticipation of the Nairobi summit with contributions from diverse experts and organisations, translates continental commitments into actionable regional guidance. Regional hubs, including one hosted at a key research institute, furnish technical assistance to member states for national roadmap development and integration of soil priorities into broader agricultural investment plans. Such coherence ensures that soil health permeates overall development strategies rather than functioning in isolation.

Looking toward the future, projections grounded in current data and commitments suggest both opportunities and risks depending on the pace of implementation. Should West African nations achieve the Nairobi targets by 2034, restoring 30 percent of degraded lands and tripling certified fertiliser production and distribution could yield transformative gains. Enhanced soil fertility would likely elevate average application rates closer to sustainable thresholds, thereby boosting crop yields by significant margins across staple and cash crops alike. This productivity surge would directly fortify food security amid expanding population-driven demand, reducing vulnerability to external shocks and diminishing reliance on costly imports. Public revenues would benefit substantially from higher agricultural output, increased rural incomes, expanded tax bases and diminished expenditures on emergency food assistance or subsidy overruns. Resilience to climate variability would improve through better nutrient retention and soil structure, fostering stable rural economies and supporting broader economic diversification.

Conversely, if progress remains incremental and fertiliser usage lingers near present levels of 20 to 22 kilograms per hectare while degradation advances unchecked, future scenarios become markedly less favourable. Continued nutrient mining would accelerate yield declines, potentially by double-digit percentages over the coming decade, intensifying food insecurity for millions and inflating import bills that strain national budgets. Public revenues would contract as agricultural contributions to gross domestic product diminish, limiting fiscal space for essential services and infrastructure. Heightened competition for arable land could exacerbate social tensions, while nutritional shortfalls might persist or worsen, particularly among vulnerable groups. According to the expert, the cost of such inaction would compound exponentially, far outweighing proactive investments and jeopardising the subregion’s ability to meet rising food needs sustainably.

In conclusion, the imperative to prioritise soil health in West Africa transcends immediate agricultural concerns, representing a foundational requirement for enduring food security and fiscal health. Through coordinated policy action, private-sector dynamism, capacity enhancement and inclusive youth involvement, the region possesses the tools to reverse degradation trends. Realising the ambitious yet attainable goals outlined in recent declarations will demand unwavering commitment. Yet the potential rewards, measured in enhanced productivity, stabilised food systems and strengthened public finances, offer a compelling pathway toward a prosperous and resilient future for West Africa’s agricultural heartland.