Farmers in Kano and Jigawa trained on ISFM to restore soil fertility and boost cowpea yields through practical demonstrations and field sessions

Farmers in Kano and Jigawa states have been trained to restore soil fertility and improve cowpea yields through a collaborative initiative by Soil Values and the Centre for Dryland Agriculture of Bayero University Kano.

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The training, conducted as part of a Field Day on Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM), equipped smallholder farmers with practical techniques to rejuvenate degraded soils.

Participants visited four demonstration plots on the farm of Ahmad Isa Falali in Takai, Kano State, where they observed traditional practices, inorganic fertilisers, organic fertilisers, and the ISFM approach in action.

Falali described the experience as transformative. “Learning how to make compost, recycle residues and adjust nutrient levels has turned the ISFM plot into an ‘open-air classroom’ for me,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the CDA Director of Research, Dr Bassam Abdulrahman explained that the Field Day is part of the Soil Values project, funded by the Government of the Netherlands over ten years.

The programme aims to enhance land use in Kano, Jigawa, and Bauchi states through farmer training.

Women farmers also benefited, with Rayya Abdullahi noting increased confidence in soil management.

“I now have the confidence needed to properly manage the soil, and I intend to share this knowledge with other women in my group,” she said.

The programme is implemented by three primary partners—the International Fertiliser Development Centre, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, and Wageningen University & Research—supported by five scientific partners, including IITA, AGRA, ICRAF, ISRIC, and IWMI.

According to organisers, the initiative seeks to reduce the yield gap, improve soil fertility, and encourage farmers to restore land for long-term productivity and food security.

Operating in Sahelian regions affected by drought, desertification, and climate change, Soil Values has a budget of €100 million and targets restoration of two million hectares of degraded land across Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and northern Nigeria.

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In Nigeria alone, 800,000 hectares are expected to be rehabilitated, directly benefiting 600,000 smallholder farmers, with a focus on women and youth.