Africa is keen on securing its food system by putting in place measures that will, see the continent safeguard its agricultural future. This was realised after the launch of the African fertiliser and soil health in Dakar Senegal recently.

Africa possesses 65 per cent – a third – of the world’s uncultivated arable land, totalling approximately 874 million hectares. The available arable land, according to Further Africa publication, is more than the combined land mass of Europe and the Americas.

This vast, underutilised resource positions the continent as a critical player in addressing future global food security challenges.

Among African nations, Sudan, South Africa and Nigeria lead in terms of agricultural land availability, offering immense potential for large-scale, sustainable food production.

With a rapidly growing population and increasing demand for food, Further Africa says, both domestically and globally, the strategic development of Africa’s agricultural sector could transform the continent into the next agricultural powerhouse.

Unlocking this potential, however, requires a shift in investment, technology transfer, and policy reform. While many African economies rely heavily on smallholder farming, productivity remains low due to limited access to quality inputs, infrastructure deficits, and climate-related disruptions.

On September 1, the Africa fertiliser industry development association was officially launched during a special event on “advancing the momentum of the implementation of the Africa fertiliser and soil health plan,” held on the margins of the Africa food systems forum 2025.

 The event was hosted by the African Union development agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), the African Union Commission (AUC), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the Coalition of Implementers for Fertiliser and Soil Health (CIFSH).

The association aims to bring together Africa’s fertiliser sector, besides strengthening collaboration, advocacy and investment across the continent. The sector targets to benefit small scale farmers, who largely contribute a lot to the continents food production.

This is set to become a major milestone towards better access to quality fertilisers and sustainable soil management.

Healthy soils are the foundation of Africa’s food security as more than 60 per cent of Africans depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Despite their dependent on agriculture, these farmers face declining soil fertility.

There is need to restore these soils and ensure access to affordable fertilisers which is key to boosting productivity, adapting to climate change and feeding a rapidly growing population.

Moses Vilakati, commissioner for agriculture, rural development, blue economy, and sustainable environment at the African Union Commission (AUC), stressed the need of addressing soil health challenges.

After assuming office in March 2025, he has prioritised eight key areas to implement the Nairobi and Kampala declarations.

“Our priorities include resuscitating the African centre for fertiliser development, establishing regional fertiliser blending facilities and advancing soil mapping to enable context-specific, evidence-based decision-making,” he said.

Already his office has rolled out a 100-day plan that has laid ground for long-term action over the next four years.

The event has highlighted the power of multi-stakeholder partnerships in transforming agriculture with governments, the private sector, youth, women and technical experts being brought on board as they all play critical roles in improving soil health.

This inclusivity ensures that vulnerable groups gain equitable access to resources, training, and decision-making roles that are an essential element of Africa’s agricultural transformation.

AUDA-NEPAD CEO, Nardos Bekele-Thomas hinted on the importance of coordinated continental action.

“The implementation of the 10-year action plan on fertiliser and soil health is now at the top of our agenda. We are domesticating the Nairobi declaration and helping regional economic communities establish regional hub with West and Southern Africa already having launched theirs, as East and North Africa ones also in the pipeline,” she said.

 She revealed that AUDA-NEPAD was working with multiple development coalitions to ensure the plan is a success.

She continued, “The private sector coalition is represented here by some of its members that I’m advised will launch a new Pan-Africa fertiliser association at this event. This is good news as it signals an acceleration in the implementation of the Nairobi declaration.

Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the new association and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to working with them”

Senior Specialist in Soil Health and Integrated Management at AGRA, Dr Asseta Diallo, addressed the link between soil health and resilient food systems.

“Sustainable soil health and equitable access to affordable fertilisers are central to Africa’s agricultural future,” Dr Diallo said.

AGRA is committed to working with governments, the private sector, farmers, and partners to create enabling environments and innovations that restore soils, boost productivity, and secure a sustainable future for smallholders,” she said.

Larry Umunna, executive director of CIFSH, focused on revitalising institutions and building local ownership. “Our coalition is focused on reviving the African centre for fertiliser development and promoting the Africa fertiliser and soil health action plan at both country and regional levels.

We prioritize capacity building, resource mobilization, and leveraging research and innovation to improve fertiliser efficiency and build resilient agricultural productivity,” he added.

During the event, the participants further showcased revolutions in fertiliser formulations, soil testing technologies, digital tools, and modern agronomic practices already making an impact across Africa’s diverse agro ecologies.

The private sector’s mandate in delivering affordable, quality fertilisers and ensuring efficient supply chains for smallholder farmers was highlighted as crucial.

The event wrapped up with a collective pledge: as Africa works to boost agricultural productivity and resilience against climate change and population growth, the Africa fertiliser and soil health action plan and its partners are ready to deliver science-driven, inclusive solutions for a sustainable, food-secure future.

The event was convened to discuss the implementation of the Africa fertiliser and soil health Nairobi declaration. The action-oriented interaction addressed the technical needs to implement the plan, the progress made so far and the ongoing initiatives.

The session discussed the key role of the coalitions and regional hubs as emphasised in the action plan including the private sector in driving the implementation of the Africa fertiliser and soil health action plan.

Emphasis was placed on the progress of the implementation at continental, regional and at countries level as well as the diverse nature of all players including the private sector and the need to tailor appropriate modalities for partnerships.

• A Tell Media report / Isaiah Wakhungu Andanje