Nigeria’s fertiliser use shortfall

Nigeria’s fertiliser paradox is becoming harder to ignore. The country now possesses fertiliser production capacity, yet farmers are applying nowhere near enough nutrients to unlock its agricultural potential. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security says national fertiliser consumption is about 18.6 kilogrammes per hectare, against the 50kg/ha benchmark associated with the 2006 Abuja Declaration. The Fertiliser Producers and Sellers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), using another measure, put application at 24kg/ha in March 2026.
Either way, the shortfall is substantial. FAO-based data show Nigeria at 22.6kg/ha in 2020, falling to 18.0kg in 2021, 7.3kg in 2022 and 4.2kg in...