The Federal Government says Nigeria loses about 24 million tonnes of topsoil annually due to erosion and land degradation, warning that the trend poses a serious threat to food security and climate resilience.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, stated this in Abuja at the unveiling of the Global Project- Soil Matters.
Abdullahi said healthy soil plays a critical role in water retention, drought resistance and carbon sequestration, stressing that restoring soil organic matter had become imperative amid rising climate shocks.
“Soil is not merely the dirt beneath our feet; it is the cornerstone of our food security, economy and climate resilience.
“Over 70 per cent of Nigerians depend on agriculture, yet the country continues to lose approximately 24 million tonnes of topsoil annually due to erosion and degradation.
“A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. Nigeria will not be that nation,” he said.
The minister recalled that the government, in collaboration with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), had earlier launched the Nigerian Soil Information System (NiSIS) and the Coalition of the Willing (CoW) to strengthen soil management. (NAN)
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