Activities of the Nigeria Institute of Soil Science, in line with its core mandate to enhance protection and management of soil resources to mitigate hunger by providing food in quantity and quality, have won the institute global recognition.
The NISS won $15,000 for outstanding activities among 48 organisations that contested the award across the globe at the 2020 World Soil Day held in Bangkok, Thailand on Sunday.
Professor Samaila Sani Noma, the North-West Zonal Coordinator of NISS dropped the cheering news at a one-day sensitisation workshop attended by Registered Soil Scientists within the zone, held at the new Faculty of Agriculture building, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
According to Noma, who is of the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, UDUS, “the World Soil Day award, sponsored by the Kingdom of Thailand in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations was received by the Nigerian Ambassador to Thailand, Mr. Oma Djebah, on behalf of Nigeria.
“Nigeria was adjudged the best in the aspects of educational projects, rallies, experts dialogue, conferences, artistic performances, on-farm trials on good agricultural practices and youth knowledge on soils with specific initiatives.”
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The one-day sensitisation workshop for registered soil scientists within the North-West region was coming on the heels of an earlier workshop the institute held for farmers and extension workers within Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, in October.
The workshop was themed, ‘The Role of Nigeria Institute of Soil Science as the Regulator of Soil Science Profession in Nigeria,’ with a paper presented by Prof Edward Uyovbisere, of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Aside from sensitising members to the activities of the institute, other areas of deliberation at the gathering included the need for soil management and testing within the zone, as states in the region fall on different ecological zones.
In his goodwill message, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Agriculture, Professor Aminu Abubakar, commended NISS for its outstanding performance which led to its winning the 2020 World Soil Day Award.
He promised to engage the institute and other professional bodies like the Nigeria Institute of Animal Science in executing the ministry’s mandate of improved agricultural productivity in the state.
Earlier, the chief host who is also the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Prof Alhassan Danladi Isah, encouraged NISS to organise similar workshops to benefit farmers in the region and Nigeria at large.
