Features Article Presentation1 on the field of Soil Science

The importance of Soil Science study and it influences environmental management. This field of study contributes to sustainable development of a nation.

1. SOIL SCIENCE PROFESSION AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA PROFESSOR TRENCHARD OKON IBIA; RSS; FSSSN ; University of Uyo , Nigeria Email: [email protected] ; WEB : http://www.trenchardibia.com.ng ; Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations

2. INTRODUCTION Nigeria has a land mass of 98.3 million ha (923,768 sq km), About 74 million ha (289,047 sq km) is arable and about 31 million ha (198,600 sq km) is in cultivation of various crops, Nigeria ranks as the seventh country with the largest arable land area globally. However, agricultural lands are fast diminishing or loosing quality due to urbanization, industrialization, erosion, over-grazing, over-cropping, deforestation, desertification, and mining activities,

3. INTRODUCTION CONT’D Sustainable development is the type which evolves indefinitely toward greater human utility, greater use efficiency of resources The objective is to improve the national, social, cultural and economic needs of the present and future human generations and preventing undue damage to the natural environment

4. INTRODUCTION CONT’D Soil Science: an interdisciplinary science is a body of knowledge that integrates, the natural and applied sciences , mathematics and aspects of social sciences to study, describe, interpret, manage, and utilize soil, land and water resources for diverse issues. The Soil Science Profession is the integration of training, qualification, research, certification and regulations in the practice of Soil Science. The profession of Soil Science strives to play vital roles in attaining sustainable development Soil scientists carry out research to solve problems and manage soil resources to conserve, and sustainably utilize the soil for future generations.

5. THE SOIL AS A NATURAL RESOURCE The soil is a valuable nonrenewable natural resource formed as a thin layer of mineral and organic materials, air and water on the earth’s surface and utilized for the social, cultural and economic well-being of people. Soil Fertility : The ability of the soil to provide all essential nutrients in optimum amounts, available forms and suitable balance for quality and optimum yields of crop; Soil Productivity : The capacity of soil to produce specified crop yield under well-defined and specified systems of management of inputs and environmental conditions; Soil Quality : The condition of the soil based on its capacity to perform ecosystem functions (biodiversity and productivity, partitioning water and solute flow, filtering and buffering, nutrient cycling, support for plants and other physical structures); Soil Health: The state of a soil meeting its range of ecosystem functions as appropriate to its environment.

6. THE NEXUS BETWEEN SOILS AND LAND RESOURCES The soil is an essential component of the land ie , a sub-set of the land The soil is the top layer of the earth’s crust, composed of organic and inorganic materials essential for agriculture, ecosystem health and biodiversity; Land is the solid surface of the earth, which encompasses various ecosystems (forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, etc) and provides resources such as minerals, water, biomass and food, etc. Soil and land resources are so closely interwoven and many institutions handle Soil Science in the Department of Soil and Land Resources.

7. THE IMPORTANCE OF SOILS AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES Provisioning Services : Provides food crops, fish and livestock, raw materials for agricultural and industrial purposes, fuel and fibre ; moderate the provision of fresh water for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes; Regulating Services : Regulates climate through providing sink for greenhouse gases and moderating temperature and precipitation, regulating ground water recharge and quality, as well as sediment retention; Recycling functions : Ensures the natural water recycling by controlling rain, snowfall, and irrigation waters, etc, and regulates the drainage, flow and storage of water and solutes; Filtering Functions : Filtering potential pollutants by processes of filtration, buffering, degradation, immobilization, adsorption and detoxification of organic and inorganic materials; Supporting Services : soils support and enable the building of physical structures such as roads, bridges, rails, buildings, ports, as well as provision of recreational facilities (football, golf, etc); Cultural Services: Provides source of archeological treasures, inspiration and spiritual functions for various cultures; Educational Services and functions : Provides services as the source of formal and informal education and learning

8. THE SOIL AND ITS ATTRIBUTES Soils are common but complex systems with many attributes that affect the daily life of peoples. These attributes include: Productivity - The capacity for plant growth and yield; Flexibility - The multiplicity of uses related to properties; Responsiveness - The capacity for external enhancement; Resistance - An ability to maintain current conditions; Residence time - The capacity to store and release compounds; Resilience - Recovery from disturbance; Sustainability - A dynamic equilibrium of interactions

9. THE NIGERIA SOIL RESOURCE Based on the climatic zones of Nigeria the soils of the entire land mass can be regrouped into: The soils of the Northern fringe : occupy the extreme north with proximity to the fringes of the fast- encroaching Sahara desert, characterized by soils formed from Aeolian deposits accumulated over long periods of time. Lateritic soils of the interior zone : made up of a mixture of poorly drained, and seasonally flooded grey to black sandy clay to clay texture, constituting the “ fadama ” soils with are deep corroded, generally sticky consistence, and with generally low fertility. Soils of the Southern forest zone : are influenced by the humid, tropical climate and dense forest cover. Local soil types depend largely on parent rock (igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary). Alluvial soils: are found along the flood plains of rivers, deltas, along the coastal flats extending from the coastal inland through the valleys of the Niger and the Benue rivers, and other rivers within the numerous flood plains.

10. Agro-ecological zone of Nigeria

11. THE SOIL AND LINKS TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs) The trans-disciplinary nature of Soil Science is shown by the role of soils in the social, economic and environmental agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 1 “No Poverty” SDG 2 “Zero Hunger” SDG 3 “Ensuring Healthy Lives” SDG 6 “Clean Water and Sanitation” SDG 11 “Sustainable cities and communities” SDG 13 “Urgent Action to combat Climate Change SDG 14 “Life below Water” SDG 15 “Life on Land”

12. THE SOIL SCIENCE DISCIPLINE deals with soils as a vital natural resource on the surface of the earth including soil formation, classification, mapping, physical, chemical, mineralogical and biological attributes in relation to the use and management of soils and land resources; encompasses chemistry, physics, biology, ecology, geology, geography and a variety of earth and other natural resources and sciences; uses chemistry, physics, microbiology and mathematics as well as high technology tools for soil exploration, analysis, data interpretation and modeling of soils and landscape processes; integrates concerns for people, food production and the environment.

13. SOIL SCIENCE AS A PROFESSION Soil Science is a profession where the practitioners are trained to work in a variety of activities that apply soil, land resources and environmental science knowledge to manage and utilize the soil as a natural resource which is paramount for human existence. As professionals, Soil Scientists bring science and technology to issues involving soil, land and water resources; play key roles in public and private sector decisions related to soil, land and water resources; are employed in the private sector with agricultural and environmental consulting firms, financial institutions, fertilizer and agro allied industries, oil and gas and development partners.

14. THE FRONTIERS OF ACTION BY SOIL SCIENCE PROFESSIONALS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA In Nigeria the Soil Science professionals apply their knowledge and skills in several areas of national development including river basin projects, dams and watershed management, research institutes, engineering construction projects, etc. River Basins Development Projects Upper  Benue River  Basin Development Authority. Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority Cross River  Basin Development Authority Anambra  -  Imo River  Basin Development Authority Niger River  Basin Development Authority Ogun   Osun River Basin Development Authority Benin - Owena River Basin Development Authority Niger Delta Basin Development Authority Sokoto - Rima River Basin Development Authority Hadejia  - Jama're River Basin Development Authority. Upper Niger River  - Niger, Kaduna and FCT The Lake Chad Basin Development Authority

15. FRONTIERS Agricultural Research Institutes Lake Chad Research Institute, Maiduguri, Bornu State, Institute for Agricultural Research ABU, Zaria, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan, National Cereal Research Institute, Badeggi , Bida , Niger State, National Root Crop Research Institute, Umudike , Umuahia , National Horticultural Research Institute, Idi-Ishin , Ibadan Nigerian Store Product Research Institute, Ilorin Kwara State, Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria, Iyanomo Benin City, Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Idi-Ayunre , Ibadan, Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research, Benin City, National Animal Production Research Institute, Shika , Zaria, National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research New Bussa , National Agricultural Extension, Research and Liaison Services, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, Nigeria, National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR); International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, (IITA), Etc

16. Regional and Zonal Development Commissions Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) North East Development Commission (NEDC) Hydro Electric Power Producing Area Development Commission (HYPPADEC) South East Development Commission BRACED Commission Etc

17. OTHERS Tertiary institutions offering agriculture programmes Schools and vocational institutions Oil and Gas prospecting, exploration and production companies Fertilizer blending and manufacturing companies Commercial farms Ranches and games reserves Quarrying and cement companies Sports and recreation facilities Ministries, Departments and Agencies such as NALDA Private and Public Sector laboratories Etc.

18. It is important to note: In the United States of America, the Environmental Protection Agency US-EPA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and United States Department Agriculture (USDA) work in concert with cognate MDAs, partners and collaborators to research, utilize and manage soil and land resources to ensure sustainability.

19. COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE OF NIGERIA’S AGRICULTURE AS CATALYST FOR SOIL SCIENCE PRACTICE The potential and capacity of agriculture to mitigate the ailing economy are so huge and Soil Science practice has to be positioned to foster this. The potentials are based on her comparative advantage as Nigeria Is the world’s largest producer of raw cassava, yams, ginger, Shea nuts (Shea butter), Gum Arabic, African mango Is the world’s second largest producer of raw cowpea, sorghum , Nigeria is the second largest producer of sesame in Africa and the seventh largest producer in the world Nigeria is the largest producer of peanuts (groundnuts) in Sub-Saharan Africa and the 3 rd in the world after China followed by India Is the fourth largest producer of raw cocoa in the world, produced in 14 states of the federation Is the fifth largest producer of oil palm produce in the world , produced in 21 states of the federation Is the largest producer of raw tomatoes in the Sub-Saharan Africa

20. Nigeria’s agricultural system, characterized by low yields of crops create challenges and opportunities for Soil S cience practitioners (See average yield of maize and rice below) Country Maize (Mt/ha) Rice (Mt/ha) Nigeria 1.2 1.3 China 5.0 6.5 India 2.1 3.0 Brazil 3.0 4.0 Mexico 2.5 4.5 Source: Uza , 2008

21. L ow yields underscore the challenges of Soil Science professionals and Nigeria’s agricultural development and environmental sustainability CROP Average yield at farmers field Expected optimum yield Cassava 7 to 20 Mt/ha fresh tubers 40 to 50 Mt/ha fresh tubers Maize 200 to 2000 kg/ha dry grains 4000 to 5000 kg/ha dry grains Rice (upland) 900 to 1700 kg/ha dry grains 2000 to 3500 kg/ha dry grain Rice (lowland) 900 to 3000 kg/ha dry grains 4000 to 5000 kg/ha dry grains Yams 7 to 12 tons/ha 20 to 25 tons/ha Oil palm <9 years old 2 to 3 tons/ha fresh fruit bunches 4 to 6 tons/ha fresh fruit bunches Oil palm >9 years old 6 to7 tons/ha fresh fruit bunches Up to 16 tons/ha fresh fruit bunches

22. THE PRACTICE OF SOIL SCIENCE PROFESSION IN NIGERIA In Nigeria to become a professional soil scientist, one has to be a member of the Soil Science Society of Nigeria (SSSN) and registered by the Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (NISS) to practice. The SSSN has its primary objectives Advancing the study of soil, promoting and fostering understanding of basic and applied Soil Science, nationally and internationally; Supporting standards of practice Promoting the understanding, relevance and use of soil science and the dissemination of research findings Enhancing soil education and developing soil scientist.

23. REGULATING THE SOIL SCIENCE PROFESSION IN NIGERIA The profession of Soil Science is regulated by the Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (NISS) established by Law in 2017 The Mandate is “to regulate the practice of Soil Science for increased profitability to all stakeholders and guarantee improved soil management systems that will embrace environmental sustainability and ensure high agricultural productivity and food security in Nigeria”.

24. NISS has its equivalent elsewhere to include In the UK British Society of Soil Science is primarily set up to regulate soil science practice in UK In the US, various states have their regulators eg Board of Professional Soil Scientists in North Dakota Board for Licensing Soil Scientists in North Carolina Soil Classifiers Advisory Council of South Carolina Board of Professional Soil Scientists and Wetland Professionals in Virginia Joint Board of Professional Geologists, Hydrologists and Soil Scientists in Wisconsin Board of Certification for Geologists and Soil Scientists in Maine Board of Professional Geosciences in Texas Indiana Registry of Soil Scientists in Indiana Board of Registration of Professional Soil Classifiers in Alabama and Arkansas

25. The Structure of NISS NISS Governing Council Office of the Registrar Administrative and Finance Department Planning, Research Extension and Statistics Department Regulatory Affairs Department Inspectorate and Accreditation Department

26. NISS has a wide range of roles in actualizing its mission and vision of regulating the practice of soil science Certification and Registration of Soil Scientists in Nigeria Capacity Building and Continuous Education Curriculum Review and Training of Soil Scientists Discipline of Soil Science Practitioners Laboratory Regulations and Accreditation Institutional Accreditation Standard of Practice in Soil Science Soil and Fertilizer Quality Assurance and Quality Control Sustainable Management of Soil and Land Resources Environmental Quality and Sustainability Soil, Land, Agriculture and Environmental Research and Development

27. Collaborations and partnerships with international agencies At the International level International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) (The current President is Prof Victor O Chude , the Registrar of NISS) International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC) Global Soil Partnership (GSP) United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAO), International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) OCP-Africa,

28. Collaborations and partnerships with national agencies At the National level Soil Science Society of Nigeria (SSSN) Agricultural Society of Nigeria (ASN) Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Farm Inputs Support Services Department (FISS), Fertilizer Producers and Support Services Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), Nigeria National Accreditation Service ( NiNAS ); and Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals Ltd, Among others

29. THE ROLE OF NISS IN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA’S SOIL AND LAND RESOURCES The Nigeria Institute of Soil Science is keeping pace with its mandate in the following areas: Five Year Action Plan for Sustainable Management of Soil Resources in Nigeria under five thematic pillars Pillar 1: Promoting sustainable management of soil resources for the protection, conservation and sustainable productivity. Pillar 2: Encouraging investments, technical cooperation, policy, education, awareness and extension in soil Pillar 3: Promoting targeted soil research and development focusing on identified gaps and priorities and synergies with related productive, environmental and social development actions. Pillar 4: Enhancing the quantity and quality of soil data and information: data collection (generation), analysis, validation, reporting, monitoring and integration with other disciplines Pillar 5: Harmonization of methods; measurements and indicators for the sustainable management and protection of soil resources.

30. OTHERS ENGAGEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS Development of National Agricultural Soil Management Policy (NASMP) Development of Manual for the Accreditation of Laboratories in Nigeria Certification and Registration of Soil Scientists Establishment of a state-of-the-arts Reference Laboratory Fertilizer Sector Review Report-Nigeria

31. THE TEN-YEAR AFRICAN FERTILIZER AND SOIL HEALTH ACTION PLAN (2024-2034) Nigeria is a partner in the African Union Development Agency and NEPAD under the ten-year Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) Action Plan and the longer-term Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA) Framework to tackle Africa’s soil health challenges. Soil Science Practitioners (professionals) through the instrumentality of NISS, and collaboration with responsible MDAs will have major roles to play to achieve the major targets for Nigeria in the coming years of implementation.

32. THE FUTURE FRONTIERS OF SOIL SCIENCE PROFESSION IN FOSTERING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA Currently, Soil Science focuses on two broad concerns, namely, agricultural soil science and environmental soil science and both areas should be understood with utmost interests to soil scientists. For the developed world with sufficient food supply, and food insecurity guaranteed, Soil Science is increasingly targeting environmental and cultural issues namely protection of food chain against contamination, protection of ground water resources, protection of the air and human health as well as protection of soil as a cultural and natural heritage; clean food, clean water and clean air are the basis of a healthy environment, guaranteeing a long life expectancy of the people. In the developing and under-developing countries, where food deficiency and food insufficiency persist, Soil Science continues to push the frontiers of agronomy and crop production where the soil is mainly seen as a medium of plant growth and to guarantee sustainability, soil fertility, plant nutrition and soil conservation as the main focus.

33. The future frontiers of Soil Science in Nigeria and the global world is vast and soil science professionals must brace up to face all facets of soils contributions to human existence. Six major challenging paradigm shifts for soil scientists’ focus to include Continuing in global food security with a dire need to increase production and yield of major crops Playing a major role in the increased production of feed stocks for biofuels (bio-ethanol, biodiesel) Active participation in developing waste conversion and disposal technologies particularly converting wastes to soil amendments; Composting and landfills used in generating biogas, and using soil fauna and flora to degrade pollutants Active involvement in the judicious management of soil landscapes within watersheds to improve and enhance water resources and renewable fresh water supply Direct and active involvement in soil and climate change actions. Land use management systems must be developed to make the soils a major sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide.

34. For accelerated growth and development of Nigeria, Soil Science practitioners must begin to focus in some of these areas linking soil and land resources to sustainable development. Application of Remote sensing in precision agriculture Applying inorganic fertilizers according to soil maps GPS precision location of inputs and equipment management Land treatment and utilization of wastes using soils as bio-filters Intrusion into organic farming Soil Science Forensic in criminology and archeological dating Soil Science in Climate Change and climate action issues Soil Science in water and food quality issues Soil Science in engineering practices Soil Science in all environmental action plans Soil Science in water resources management (dams and irrigation)

35. RECOMMENDATIONS For soil science and the professionals to keep pace with the current and future frontiers in the development of Nigeria, urgent and sustained actions are needed in diverse areas: Streamlining Soil and Land use Policies Genuine commitment to the implementation of regional and global technical and economic cooperation on agriculture, soil, land and fertilizer initiatives, the latest being the Kenyan 2024 African Fertilizer and Soil Health (AFSH) and Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA) Framework.

36. RECOMMENDATIONS Review of Curriculum and Training Soil Extension Service Delivery Developing a Framework of connections between soil and people in order to target appropriate soil messages to different groups of people Urgent review of the key legislation, the NISS (Establishment ACT, 2017) to lend credence to the Soil Science Profession

37. Need to Review NISS ACT, 2017 The Act should recognize the Soil as a non-renewable component of the global ecosystem with the various interrelationships forming the basis of ecological principles for the sustainable use of Soils. The Act should state/prescribe soil ecosystem functions/services to guide in prescribing roles and interrelationships among practitioners. The Act should recognize the existence of legally prescribed policy documents and ascribe complementary role for NISS and RSS to oversight issues of concern to sustainable soil use and management. The Act should detail the regulatory functions of NISS as the Regulatory Body on matters relating to sustainable use of soils as an ecological natural resource, The Act should prescribe mandatory role for Soil Science Professionals in all Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) where an existing soil use activity or a proposed soil use activity is likely to significantly impact on the ecological integrity of the soil and the environment. The Act should provide guidelines for handling soils at the various stages of engineering site development. Professional Soil Scientists (RSS) should be legally empowered to oversight on different aspects of using soil sustainably on construction sites

38. CONCLUSION The future of Soil Science in fostering sustainable development of Nigeria and the world will rely more on healthy interaction and integration of professionals and other key cognate stakeholders to guarantee a more comprehensive understanding of the role of Soil Science discipline and Soil Science professionals in solving the ever emerging problems of the Nigerian and global ecosystems. Nigerian Soil Science professionals must take professional control of the soil and land resources in terms of managing and utilizing same for sustainable development of Nigeria. Research must focus on development If Soil Scientists do not come forth with practical solutions to combating soil degradation, soil contamination, deforestation, desertification, salanization , climate change impacts, the future remains bleak for Nigeria and the Sub-Saharan Africa. Also if Soil Science professionals do not form development synergy with other professionals, a situation may ensure where soil-related issues are dealt with more by other professionals such as engineers, geologists, ecologists, chemists, biologists and physicists, etc. Soil Scientists must wake up and compete for the sustainable development of Nigeria.

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