Nigeria’s Soil Resources Must Be Preserved for Sustainable Food Production

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo

With the unwholesome practices being witnessed in soil management and conservation across the nation, soil scientists under the aegis of the Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (NISS) have taken steps to reverse the trend and preserve the nation’s soil resources for optimal food production.

To this end, NISS has vowed to root out quackery in soil management and put in place appropriate mechanisms to protect soil resources from those who are bent on destroying the basic foundation for sustenance of life.

The South East Coordinator of NISS, Prof Charles Asadu made this known yesterday at the opening ceremony of a two day workshop on the protection and management of soil resources being hosted by Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike(MOUAU), Abia State.

He lamented the havoc that quackery was wrecking on soil management and conservation, adding that NISS invoked the relevant bill, which President Muhammad Buhari had signed into law on February 3, 2017 to address the problem.
According to him, the law mandates NISS to regulate the profession of Soil Science in Nigeria as well as provide a scientific basis for enhancing and sustaining productivity of soil resources in the country with minimal environmental degradation, especially with regard to food production, among others.

The workshop organised for extension workers and farmers drawn from Abia and Imo states is holding at the College of Crop and Soil Science of MOUAU.

The Vice-chancellor of MOUAU, Prof Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, who declared the training open, noted that the objectives of NISS in protecting the nation’s soil resources were are in tandem with the vision and mandate of the university,
The VC, represented by Prof Chukwuma Ofor, urged the participants to attune their minds on how to properly manage the soil to sustain its profitability.

The Dean of the College, Prof Olayinka Nwachukwu said that the topics lined up for discussion were not only fascinating but aligned with the United Nations declaration that without soils, no life would exist on earth.

She therefore harped on the need for all necessary measures to be taken by experts and relevant authorities to protect soil resources from relentless assaults by enemies of nature.

The Abia State NISS Coordinator, Prof Damian Asawalam, disclosed that it took many years to pass the NISS Bill into law, hence governments at all levels must endeavour to play their parts to ensure effective implementation of the provisions.
Asawalam, who is a professor of soil science at MOUAU, stated that the NISS Law should be implemented to impact positively on soil management and conservation.

He also pointed out that the NISS Law has provisions for Soil and Land Use Maps to prevent land degradation, helping to effect soil analysis tests before any activity is carried out, protection of farmers, among others.