Nigeria is Africa’s biggest crop producer; she is also among the biggest consumers of agricultural nutrients. But at two kilogramme/hectare, her phosphate fertiliser application level is far below the global average of 16kg/hectare. Nigeria also ranks below her peers, such as Kenya and Ethiopia, which boast 19kg/hectare and 13kg/hectare. However, to strengthen local phosphate mining capabilities, Nigeria has joined forces with Morocco. DANIEL ESSIET reports.
Nigeria’s population is projected to hit 400 million by 2050. This has necessitated the need to prioritise raising agricultural productivity to achieve food self-sufficiency. One of the key factors identified as having the capacity to raise agricultural productivity and achieve food security is access to and efficient use of input, particularly phosphate fertiliser.
The snag, however, is that Nigeria and, indeed, much of the developing world, has not been able to effectively acquire and use this critical input to raise productivity. Nigeria appears to be worse hit. For instance, at two kilogramme/hectare, her phosphate fertiliser application rate, according to experts, is far below the global average of 16kg/hectare.
Nigeria also ranks below her peers on the continent such as Kenya and Ethiopia, which parade 19kg/hectare and 13kg/hectare phosphate fertiliser application rates. And the implication of this is certainly not lost on stakeholders and the authorities in the agric sector.
This is so considering the need for increased crop production to ensure food self-sufficiency for the projected population by 2050. This is because low use of fertiliser contributes to growing yield gap, which is the difference between how much crop could be produced in ideal circumstances compared to actual yields.
The consensus is that phosphorus is a major mineral nutrient required by crop plants for optimal growth and productivity. It is one of the main three nutrients most commonly found in fertiliser and is the “P” in the NPK balance that is listed on fertiliser.
Phosphorus, according to experts, is present in soil in a chemical form known as phosphate. Adding phosphorus-containing fertiliser to the soil boosts productivity, but that kind of fertiliser is becoming less and less readily available. That’s because such fertiliser requires large amounts of phosphate rock, which must be mined from the earth.
But, the authorities in the agric sector appear to be rising to the occasion. On the strength of a strategic partnership between Nigeria and Morocco, there are hopes on the horizon that Nigeria’s local phosphate mining capabilities and capacities would soon be strengthened.
Such hopes are supported by Nigeria’s rich but largely untapped phosphate reserves. The country already boasts a wide range of phosphate minerals, which are highly concentrated in phosphate rocks. They are found in Sokoto, Abia, Imo, Edo, Anambra and Ogun states.
In Sokoto State, for instance, phosphates of Paleocene sedimentary deposits occur in the Dange Formation. Exploration work by Nigerian Geological Survey Agency also established the occurrence of phosphate nodules and pellets in Dange, Gidan Bauchi, Illela, Gada and Kalambaina.
The Sokoto phosphates reserves are estimated to be about 10 million tonnes. Phosphate rocks are also found in Oja-Odan and Ifo areas of Ogun State.
Experts say Nigerian phosphates have very high reactivity, thus making them suitable as fertiliser material even indirect application to soil.
Sokoto State throws its hat into the phosphate ring
Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal may have already seen the immense potential in local phosphate production, which was why he recently led a high-powered delegation to Morocco to finalise discussions with Morocco’s OCP Group and the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), for the establishment of a phosphate blending plant in his state.
The Nation learnt that the move came after the Managing Director, OCP Africa Fertilisers Nigeria Limited, Mohamed Hettiti, visited Sokoto and held extensive discussions with the state government.
As a expression of the state’s readiness to partner with OCP Morocco, Tambuwal is said to have allocated 10 hectares of land for the phosphate blending plant. A Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) has since been issued to OCP Morocco.
During Governor Tambuwal’s visit to Morocco, the Executive Secretary of SMDF, Hajiya Fatima Umaru Shinkafi, signed a cooperation agreement with the OCP Africa Fertilisers for the development of Nigeria’s phosphate deposits.
Africa Fertilisers Nigeria is one of the networks of OCP Africa, a subsidiary of Morocco’s OCP Group. Created in 2016, OCP Africa is an execution of OCP’s partnerships in Nigeria and other African countries.
OCP has 12 subsidiaries in Africa, but the group focuses on Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal.
OCP Group, which holds 75 per cent of the world’s phosphate reserves, is one of the leading exporters and producers of raw phosphate, phosphate-based fertiliser, and phosphoric acid in the world. The company develops precision agriculture techniques to help farmers improve the quality and yield of their crops.
While Hajia Shinkafi signed on behalf of the Federal Government, Hettiti signed for OCP Africa Fertilisers.
The agreement, which was an extension of President Muhammad Buhari administration’s Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI), will ensure technical cooperation between SMDF and OCP Africa in the fields of phosphates exploration and appraisal.
It will also support SMDF effort to develop phosphate mining and provide training and academic exchanges aimed at developing human capacity in the mining sector through the training of exploration geologists and mining engineers.
On the strategic partnership, Shinkafi stated that phosphate is one of the five strategic minerals that have been identified by the SMDF for immediate intervention.
“Agriculture and mining have been put at the forefront of the government’s priorities, and agro-minerals (e.g. phosphate) readily provide a good link between the two important subsectors of the economy,” she said.
The SMDF scribe explained that SMDF has prioritised phosphate for solid minerals development in Nigeria due to the presence of reserves and its potential for direct application of Nigeria’s reactive phosphate on the nation’s acidic soil.
“Matching South Africa’s phosphate application rate will make Nigeria the largest phosphate fertiliser market size 10 times that of South Africa valued at $260 million, as Nigeria’s phosphate fertiliser application rate is 2kg/hectare.
“The figure is far below the world average application rate of 16kg/hectare and peer countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya averaging 13kg/hectare and 16kg/hectare,” Shinkafi said.
She said based on regional application rates, Nigeria has the potential to consume 2.4 million tons of phosphate fertilisers yearly, but consumes less than 200, 000 tonnes.
She expressed hope that the exploitation of Sokoto phosphate deposits will provide an economically viable method of achieving this potential.
Hettiti stated: “The SMDF targets development of the phosphate mining industry in Nigeria, which is why OCP will leverage on its capabilities and technical know-how to achieve those objectives.
The local production of phosphate will provide a cost-effective solution to increasing Nigeria’s phosphate fertiliser application rate.
It could be recalled that President Buhari recently directed the SMDF to drive the development of Nigeria’s phosphate and potash reserves as an extension to the PFI.
The Federal Government established the SMDF in 2007, through the 2007 Minerals and Mining Act, to drive investments in Nigeria’s mining sector.
The SMDF, which became fully operational under Buhari’s administration, had identified $500 million worth of investment in the sector.
Nigeria is the biggest agriculture market and crop producer. She is also among Africa’s biggest consumers of agricultural nutrients including phosphate.
Interestingly, by directing attention to local phosphate production to meet her food needs, Nigeria appears to be responding to global trends and developments in the phosphate industry, where researchers across multiple disciplines are seeking ways to improve soil phosphate management.
The SYMPHOS event
They are also intensifying efforts in understanding how plants can adapt to limited phosphorus. It was the focus of the fifth International Symposium on Innovation and Technology in the Phosphate Industry (SYMPHOS) held in Benguerir City, Morocco.
The conference, which was an initiative of the OCP Group and the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Morocco, covered various topics, including a range of innovative developments relating to fertiliser production, forecasts of rock phosphate availability and an overview of fertiliser blending technologies.
The event attracted commercial and operational decision-makers from across the phosphates and fertiliser supply chain.
Launched in 2011, SYMPHOS is held every two years. It is an international hub of innovation around phosphates and its derivatives.
The event has become an international benchmark in the sector, offering a forum that promotes diversification, modernisation and development of the phosphate industry and support for the development needs of worldwide agriculture.
Aware that innovation is the primary tool for rational and sustainable exploitation of phosphate reserves, OCP Group uses SYMPHOS to highlight its commitment to sustainable and prosperous agriculture throughout the world.
By bringing together the global phosphate community to share expertise, skills and experiences, SYMPHOS aims at contributing to the emergence of the ideas of tomorrow, and taking up the major challenge of soil and resource conservation for sustainable agriculture.
This year’s SYMPHOS examined new techniques and technologies to improve production systems in the phosphate industry and to conserve resources.
This involved considering the future of the phosphate industry in the context of a sustainable development and clean technologies approach, discussing phosphate-based raw materials, intermediate products and finished products.
Special place was given to the Moroccan model of industrial management and innovation development in the phosphate industry, particularly in the areas of mining, beneficiation of phosphates, adding value and fertiliser production.
The Secretary General, UM6P, Hicham El Habti, reiterated that balanced fertiliser is essential for sustainable agricultural intensification. He said OCP, through its Research & Development (R&D) programme and in close co-operation with the Mohamed VI Polytechnic University, was developing fertiliser that is specific to the needs of African soils and crops.
El Habti also said OCP was developing locally-appropriate service models for African farmers to have reliable and affordable access to these input and-related products.
OCP Group Director of R & D Mr. Rachid Boulif said the conference aimed to boost the growing relations between Morocco and the rest of Africa in education, research and innovation fields.
He said the conference aimed to explore the latest innovations and services to the phosphates industry. The forum, according to him, was aimed uniting agriculture professionals with industry professionals and create a platform for debate and thought exchange on some of the most important policy issues facing the sector.
According to him, OCP group intends playing a leading role in the process of improving agricultural productivity in Africa by focusing on support for producers and also its innovation capabilities and expertise in the field of fertiliser serving institutions and operators, depending on their needs.
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Gunter Pauli, best- selling author of Blue Economy, Belgium and founder of Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives (ZERI). His address was entitled: “The emerging era of entrepreneurs for the common good.”
Pauli called for smarter fertiliser use, noting that a smart system is one that takes cognizance of the soil conditions, crop type, crop history, geography and weather patterns.
He explained that farmers must apply better fertiliser-to-yield ratios than developing nations, in addition to scientific, quantitative data analysis to determine the proper amount of fertiliser to use in a given situation.
Working, in conjunction with the governments and relevant research bodies of the world’s fastest-growing phosphorus consumers, Pauli said, is promoting the development of economical, efficient applications of new and cutting-edge recycling technologies that are tailored to specific regions.
The goal, according to him, would be to reduce their waste and increase their recycling, and it will emphasise the economic potential of such systems.
Pauli said his organisation has initiated several projects dealing with matching the supply of urban nutrients from waste to the demand of nutrients from urban agriculture in order to increase local self-sufficiency.
He called on governments and private sector across the continent to meet demand for sustainable products through integrated, efficient production of food, feed, bio-based products, services and energy with minimal environmental impact.
Pauli said there was the need for Africa to create a sustainable and competitive bio-based industry providing jobs and growth.
Bio-economy, according to him, is about using renewable biological resources and making the economy more sustainable and resource-efficient.
The OCP Group is also building a phosphate fertiliser plant in the country. The plant will cost $1.5 billion and will have a total capacity of one million tonnes of ammonia.
OCP signed a protocol agreement in June to build the industrial platform with Nigeria’s Sovereign Investment Authority. Hettiti said OCP Group will build two industrial fertiliser plants in the country.
He said the plants will “help to boost local production, create permanent jobs and facilitate export opportunities”.
The plants, according to Hettiti, will also ensure a decrease in Nigerian imports of NPK fertiliser, which combine three macronutrients: Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
“We have an objective to balance the trade between Morocco and Nigeria. We do not want only importation into Nigeria. Nigeria is importing Di-Ammonium Phosphorous (DAP) fertiliser from Morocco,” Hettiti said.
The planned plant, whose location has not been finalised yet, will produce ammonia, according to Hettiti, that can be exported to Morocco. For this reason, “We are investing that amount to build a DAP plant,” he said.
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