AfSIS Phase II To Promote New Methods In Agriculture, Soil Mgt

The soil disposition of an environment can make or mar the efforts of a farmer, hence the efforts of the government, with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to review the African Soil Information System towards achieving reliable soil information, Ruth Tene Natsa writes. Recently, stakeholders met to review the African Soil Information System/Nigerian Soil Information System (AfSIS/NiSIS) work plan in pursuance of the AfSIS Phase II in which Nigeria alongside Ghana, Tanzania and Ethiopia are participants. Giving an overview of the project, the adviser on African Soil, Bruce Scott, recalled that the Phase I of the project began in October 1, 2012, while the second phase began in January 2015. He said, “The objective of the second phase of the project is improving agricultural decision making, the productivity, profitability and sustainability of innovative IT-based technologies, products and services related to collecting, creating, analysing, interpreting, delivering and acting.” He added that this is achievable through the four work-streams which include the development of soil and landscape information systems and core data, protocols and tools required at the country and continental levels, development of agricultural decision support applications that add value and inform decision making at multiple levels, from national and regional policy formation to farm-level land management, and institutionalisation and capacity strengthening to develop robust national soil