OCP-Africa returns to Bauchi fields for soil testing, fertiliser production
The Bauchi State Government has reignited its partnership with OCP Africa, a global leader in soil health and fertiliser solutions, to upscale its agricultural productivity through soil intelligence and fertiliser optimisation. In a renewed push for sustainable farming, the state is training 40 extension workers in soil testing technologies, a move positioned to lay the groundwork for a state-wide soil fertility map and fertiliser efficiency program.
Dr. Ilyasu Gital, Commissioner for Agriculture, announced this development, highlighting Governor Bala Mohammed’s strategic directive to re-engage OCP Africa after previous collaboration setbacks. The partnership is anchored on generating data from farmers’ fields to guide fertiliser application precisely, reduce input waste, and boost crop yields.
Beyond training, OCP Africa is also working on reviving Bauchi’s dormant fertiliser plant, having initiated redesign efforts following multiple site assessments. The company is extending these interventions to around 100 communities across all LGAs in Bauchi via its “OCP School Lab” — a mobile platform for soil testing, analysis, and fertiliser recommendations.
OCP Africa’s Business Development Officer, Isaac Ude, noted that the mission is to help farmers treat agriculture as a business through data-driven input application. He emphasised the role of soil-specific recommendations in improving farm productivity, noting the economic and environmental advantages of precision agriculture.
The training program for extension agents aims to bridge the scientific-practical divide, empowering them to deliver tailored advice to smallholder farmers across rural communities.
Source- Punch
Expert Review for Stakeholders
Bauchi State’s collaboration with OCP Africa represents a strategic blueprint for scaling precision agriculture in Northern Nigeria. This renewed partnership is notable not only for its technical ambition—developing a geo-referenced soil fertility map—but also for its institutional reset, reflecting improved political will and stakeholder coordination.
Implications for Stakeholders:
- Policymakers should view this initiative as a replicable model for evidence-based fertiliser subsidy programs. By grounding policy in data, the state is better positioned to deploy scarce resources effectively and ensure farmer buy-in.
- Investors and Agribusinesses may find emerging opportunities in agro-input distribution, soil testing logistics, and equipment supply as the state rolls out its precision agriculture agenda. The proposed revitalisation of the fertiliser plant also signals potential for public-private partnerships (PPP) in agro-processing.
- Development Agencies and Donors focused on climate-smart agriculture can align their interventions with Bauchi’s strategy, which supports more efficient use of fertiliser inputs and environmentally sustainable practices.
- Smallholder Farmers stand to gain from increased productivity, lower production costs, and reduced trial-and-error in fertiliser use. However, the success of this model hinges on how well the trained extension agents can translate soil science into actionable advice at the grassroots level.
- Research Institutions could leverage this initiative to collect high-quality field data for long-term studies on soil health, crop response, and sustainable land management practices in the Sahelian belt.
Strategic Considerations:
- Bauchi’s investment in human capital—via extension training—is critical. However, stakeholder coordination, digital monitoring tools, and ongoing evaluation mechanisms must be built into the implementation phase to avoid project stagnation.
- OCP Africa’s return also indicates growing confidence in subnational governance structures, which other agricultural service providers may find encouraging. A successful rollout could reframe Bauchi as a hub for soil-smart innovations in West Africa.
- For regional integration, linking Bauchi’s soil fertility data to national platforms like NAFIS (National Farmers Information Service) or FMARD’s digital extension frameworks would enhance synergy and transparency across states.
