From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) said the country’s domestic fertiliser blending capacity increased from just four operational plants in 2016 to over 90 by July 2025, representing a 21.5 per cent increase under its management of the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI).
According to NSIA, PFI within the same period, delivered more than 128 million bags of high-quality blended fertiliser to farmers nationwide. It added that the programme created over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs, drastically cut dependence on imported fertiliser, and helped to stabilise prices in the agricultural sector.
The figures were unveiled in Abuja recently during the 2025 PFI Stakeholders’ Roundtable, where the NSIA formally handed over management of the scheme to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) after nearly a decade of stewardship.
Launched in 2016 by the Federal Government, the PFI was designed to address deep-rooted inefficiencies in Nigeria’s fertiliser supply chain, eliminate import bottlenecks, and revive domestic blending capacity. It also sought to make fertiliser affordable and available to farmers at the right time.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, NSIA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Aminu Umar-Sadiq, said the initiative had transformed the nation’s fertiliser landscape.
“This event is significant because we are honouring nearly a decade of positive impact, strategic partnership, growth and reform.
“When the PFI started, blending plants across Nigeria were moribund. Fertiliser was expensive, scarce, and mostly imported. Today, we have over 90 active plants, millions of bags delivered to farmers, and a thriving industry that is now financially self-sufficient. This is a model of what collaboration between public institutions and the private sector can achieve,” Umar-Sadiq said.
He added: “The NSIA’s role was to stabilise the sector, set it on a sustainable path, and hand it back stronger than we found it. We are proud of the results and confident that MOFI will build on this legacy.”
Also speaking, MOFI Managing Director, Dr. Armstrong Takang, said the agency would take full control of the PFI in January 2026, ushering in what he called PFI 3.0, a new phase aimed at improving fertiliser quality, reducing costs for farmers, and expanding coverage.
Takang said: “Our teams have been working closely with NSIA to ensure a smooth transition. By the time we fully take over, we will implement robust traceability systems, enforce stricter quality control, and strengthen regulation to completely end adulteration and diversion of raw materials. Over the years, the PFI-NPK programme has transformed Nigeria’s fertiliser ecosystem, but the next stage is to scale this transformation so that no farmer is left behind.”
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, stressed that food security was a shared national responsibility.
Represented by the Director of Farm Input Support Services, Mr. Wariziri Aba, the Minister said: “Every Nigerian has a role to play in increased food production. The government’s role is to provide the enabling environment and necessary infrastructure for the sector to thrive.
It is our collective duty to ensure that food is available, accessible, and affordable for all. Fertiliser is a critical input, and our mandate as a ministry is to ensure that it is available at the right price, the right quality, and at the right time to every farmer.
He highlighted that the National Fertiliser Quality Control Act of 2019 and the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative were direct responses to longstanding challenges in the industry, including inadequate production, poor distribution and low quality.
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