Poor soil fertility is one of the main causes of Africa’s persistent food insecurity and this is linked to poor fertiliser consumption on the continent with African farmers ranking amongst the world’s lowest users of fertiliser. Nigerian farmers for instance have a fertilizer utilization rate of 8kg/ha compared to the FAO recommendation of 200kg/ha. One of the reasons for this low fertiliser consumption is the lack of availability of the product.

Fertilizer helps to replace nutrients depleted from the soil over time due to its use for growing crops. Its use should be encouraged even in areas where the soil is naturally fertile since even such soil loses its nutrients over time with continued use as farmland. Secondly, the use of fertiliser has been scientifically proven to significantly increase crop yield. Indeed, 50% of incremental crop output globally in the last five decades is attributable to fertiliser use alone i.e. not from farming more land.

According to the New Partnership for African Development (“NEPAD”), economic development in Africa must be based in increased and sustainable agricultural production. To realize this vision, African Heads of State and Governments have developed the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (“CAADP”). CAADP has set a goal of 6% annual growth in agricultural production in order to attain the UN’s Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty and hunger by 2015.

In June 2006, African Heads of State and other stakeholders met at the Africa Fertiliser Summit in Abuja, Nigeria to deliberate on how to improve fertiliser use on the continent. Chaired by His Excellency President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, the meeting aimed to boost fertilizer use across the continent and trigger an African Green Revolution. One of the outcomes of the summit was a resolution by the AU member states to increase the level of fertilizer use on the continent to an average of at least 50 kilograms per hectare by 2015.

Notore has a vision of championing the African Green Revolution in order to reduce hunger on the continent and enable Africa become self-sufficient in food production. Increased availability and usage of fertiliser will play a key part in making this happen as poor soil fertility is one of the main causes of Africa’s persistent food insecurity

At a local level, Notore intends to act as a catalyst to revolutionise Nigeria’s agricultural sector in order to support the transition from subsistence farming to a sophisticated agro based economy. This will help the country reduce its reliance on oil and kick start non-oil sectors of the economy. Notore is therefore of strategic importance to Nigeria’s economic future, and is also poised to play a leading role in ending hunger on the African continent.