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The domestication and status of the implementation of the African Fertiliser and Soil Health Action Plan was the focus of the sixth session of the ANAPRI Stakeholders Conference. The session was co-facilitated by Frances Hales from the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network and Innocent Okuku from the Africa Fertiliser Industry Development Association.
In his presentation, Wole Fatunbi from the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) explained that Africa’s soils are among the oldest, most weathered, and least fertile in the world, leaving them highly vulnerable to mismanagement. Long-term nutrient depletion, land degradation, and climate change cost the continent an estimated US$190 billion each year. The Soil Initiative for Africa sets a forty-year vision for restoring soil health, while the African Fertiliser and Soil Health Action Plan presents a ten-year framework to halt degradation, restore fertility, and advance inclusive agricultural transformation. By 2034, the plan aims to triple fertiliser production, provide agronomic recommendations to seventy percent of farmers, restore thirty percent of degraded land, and fully operationalise the African Fertiliser Financing Mechanism.
Coalition-specific presentations reflected progress across multiple fronts. The Coalition for Policy and Advocacy, represented by Antony Chapoto from ANAPRI, outlined ongoing work with governments in Uganda and Senegal to integrate soil health into national strategies and promote farmer-centred initiatives such as Farmer Know Your Soil. The Coalition of Implementers for Fertilisers and Soil Health, represented by Larry Umunna, highlighted resource mobilisation efforts to revitalise the African Centre for Fertiliser Development in Harare, establish regional hubs, and advance policy advocacy that has already secured ministerial endorsement of implementation plans. Wole Fatunbi also contributed to the discussion on behalf of the Soil Information Systems and Mapping Coalition.
The Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Coalition, represented by Dr Lilian Lihasi from the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services, shared progress in embedding soil health in university curricula and expanding last-mile extension services across eight countries. The Private Sector Engagement and Partnerships Coalition, represented by Sheila Keino from Sustain Africa, highlighted efforts to triple fertiliser production, double distribution, and expand access to finance through gender- and youth-responsive mechanisms.
Delegates from national governments and regional hubs provided updates on domestication efforts. In Uganda, Florence Lwiza reported that national policy reviews are at an advanced stage, with the Farmer Know Your Soil campaign gaining strong stakeholder support. Fatou Ndeye from ISRA-BAME Senegal noted early progress, including ministerial engagement, stakeholder consultations, and the establishment of a €40,000 budget line, while stressing the need for coordinated funding and unified advocacy. In Zambia, Brian Mulenga, Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI) ED, highlighted domestic budget allocation, increased farmer uptake of soil-health practices, support from GIZ, and progress in national soil mapping with assistance from the FAO and the World Bank.
At the regional level, Bartholomew Chataika from the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) described efforts to harmonise policy, coordinate implementation, and develop financing strategies for Southern Africa. Larry Umunna also provided updates on the regional hub, with country engagement underway in Ghana, Liberia, Mali, and Nigeria.
The session concluded with a firm call to accelerate domestication, institutionalise long-term financing through both domestic resources and private investment, and sustain high-level political commitment.
Watch the full recording of the session here.