ECOWAS has officially launched the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel, aimed at enhancing soil health and agricultural productivity across the region. The initiative builds on efforts since the Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer in 2006 and follows the May 2024 Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya.
The hub is hosted at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) campus in Ibadan, Nigeria, with initial funding from the World Bank and OCP-Africa. It operates as an ECOWAS sub-program governed by a consortium of technical partners including IITA, International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Africa Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI), OCP-Africa, and University of Mohamed 6 Polytechnic (UM6P).
The main role of the hub is to provide technical assistance for developing and implementing investments in fertilizer and soil health within ECOWAS countries, including Mauritania and Chad. It aims to improve long-term soil health management for enhanced yield, efficient resource use, climate resilience, and profitability.
At the launch event on June 26, 2024, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture Mrs. Massandjé Touré-Litsé signed a memorandum of understanding with IITA to implement regional agricultural policy (ECOWAP) through the West Africa Hub. Another agreement was signed with OCP Africa for training opportunities in agricultural extension on fertilizer and soil health at Polytechnic University of Mohamed 6 in Morocco.
"Solving the problem of soil health in Africa requires more than technical assistance," stated an ECOWAS representative. "Working together through effective partnerships is one of the surest ways to impact livelihoods."
The launch marks a significant milestone in collective efforts to enhance agricultural productivity across West Africa and the Sahel.
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