- Delivers 128m bags of fertilizer to farmers in eight years
BY COBHAM NSA – The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) says the number of operational fertiliser blending plants in the country has been expanded from four in 2016 to over 90 production facilities by July 2025 through the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI).
The development comes with the cheering news that the initiative witnessed the production and delivery of over 128 million bags of blended high-quality fertiliser to farmers nationwide, significantly improving accessibility and affordability of the product in the last eight years.
This is as the Authority also announced that it will officially exit the co-management of the PFI in November 2025 and hand over its management to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), thereby opening a new chapter for the programme which delivered some of the best ground-breaking agricultural interventions in Nigeria’s history.
The PFI-implemented by the NSIA, under the Federal Government’s guidance, was launched in 2016 to address inefficiencies in the fertiliser supply chain and reduce dependence on imports.
NSIA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Aminu Umar-Sadiq, who disclosed this at the annual Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) Stakeholder forum in Abuja, said the programme has ultimately improved food security and created more than 100,000 direct and indirect jobs across the country.
He said “Through strategic direction of the PFI programme, NSIA has led the transformation of Nigeria’s previously moribund fertilizer blending landscape and has grown the number of operational blending plants from four (4) in 2016 to over ninety (90) by July 2025, with more than 128 millionbags of blended high-quality fertiliser delivered to Nigerian farmers.”
The NSIA boss said amid global supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, disturbing foreign exchange volatility, and macroeconomic pressures like the devaluation of the Naira, PFI remained resilient as NSIA, working closely with relevant stakeholders, ensured uninterrupted supply of fertiliser to farmers at stable prices.
He further said, “This event is significant because we are honouring nearly a decade of positive impact, strategic partnership, growth and reform. The PFI is a model of what collaboration between public institutions, and the private sector can achieve. We remain committed to strategic partnerships that enhance positive socio-economic outcomes for Nigerians.”
According to him, by strategically leading the PFI programme for almost a decade, NSIA re-validates its commitment to advance food security, empower stakeholders within the value chain and ultimately propel sustainable economic growth and development in Nigeria.
Importantly, the Authority explained that as the PFI transitions to MOFI, its focus remains on catalysing impactful investments, promoting public-private sector collaboration, and support for initiatives that optimise positive outcomes in Nigeria.
Having undergone a strategic restructuring, focused on positioning PFI for enhanced financial and operational sustainability, NSIA said next phase of the initiative includes the introduction of wet blend technology, geographic expansion to underserved regions, and a stronger focus on private sector participation to set the stage for additional positive impact.
Recalled that the PFI implementation was flagged off through NAIC-NPK Limited (now “PFI-NPK”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NSIA, on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN). However, with the restructuring of the PFI in 2021, PFI-NPK became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI).
Subsequently, managers were engaged to handle the PFI’s operations and implementation on its behalf through an Operational Management Agreement (OMA). The Managers were NSIA and MOFI Management Company Limited (ManCo).
With the joint-management argreement ending by November 2025 after the scheduled exit of NSIA, ManCo will become the sole manager of PFI-NPK going forward.
