The Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (NISS) has registered 419 professional practitioners and established Nigeria’s first legal register of soil science professionals since its establishment in 2017.
The pioneer and outgoing Registrar of NISS, Prof. Victor Chude, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during a handover ceremony to the institute’s Acting Registrar, Prof. Bashiru Raji.
Chude said the regulatory milestone was aimed at strengthening professional standards and improving the quality of soil science services available to farmers and other users.
He said the registration framework would help identify qualified practitioners and promote accountability in soil testing, laboratory services, research and land management.
According to him, NISS has also distributed more than 1,800 soil-testing kits and trained over 1,500 farmers and extension agents to improve access to reliable soil information.
He said the initiative was designed to take professional expertise beyond laboratories by providing farmers with information to guide decisions on fertiliser application, crop production and the management of problematic soils.
“This is practical intervention connecting soil testing, fertiliser use, climate-smart agriculture and problematic-soil management,” he said.
Chude said NISS had also promoted site-specific fertiliser application, climate-smart agriculture and the management of acidic and saline soils through on-farm demonstrations.
He added that the institute had developed and deployed the NISSAgro-Nig Soil SmartDevOp mobile application to provide digital agronomic information to farmers and other users.
The outgoing registrar said NISS also championed the drafting and validation of the National Agricultural Soil Management Policy (NASMP).
He said the institute had strengthened laboratory oversight through accreditation systems, inspections and verification of professional resources, while developing procedural and quality manuals for soil testing and fertiliser laboratories.
Chude said NISS had evolved from an institute established under an Act in 2017 into a national professional and regulatory body supported by digital tools and international partnerships.
In his acceptance speech, Raji described his appointment as a responsibility and a call to service, stressing the importance of soil science to agriculture, food security, environmental sustainability and national development.
He identified strengthening laboratory quality, accreditation and education; moving from registration to certification; adopting artificial intelligence; expanding partnerships and research; and improving revenue and member services as some of his priorities.
Raji said NISS would encourage laboratories within the profession to adopt appropriate International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)-based quality management systems and good laboratory practices.
He said this would require proper documentation, standard operating procedures, quality control, internal audits, staff development and continuous improvement.
The acting registrar also said the institute would support reviews of curricula, laboratory procedures and professional training to equip practitioners for climate-smart agriculture, environmental sustainability, precision agriculture, data science and modern land management.
He said NISS would embrace artificial intelligence, digital mapping, remote sensing, data analytics and precision agriculture to improve the efficiency of soil science practitioners.
“Technology should not replace soil science but rather make the soil scientist more capable, more efficient and more innovative,” Raji said.
He urged young professionals to develop the digital skills required to adapt to changes in the profession.
Raji said the institute would work collectively to strengthen its regulatory and professional functions, with registration linked to professional development, certification to competence and accreditation to quality.
The ceremony also featured the presentation of letters of commendation to outstanding members of staff, including the Assistant Director and Head of Public Relations, Dr Fidelix Oleh, and the Assistant Director and Head of Administration, Finance and Accounts, Dr Ilemona Audu.
(NAN)