Liberia develops national soil information system to improve fertilizer use

Liberia is moving closer to establishing a national soil information system as part of efforts to improve fertilizer use, soil health, and agricultural productivity. The initiative is being developed under the Fertilizer and Soil Health Hub for West Africa and the Sahel, a sub-program of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), launched in 2024.

In August 2025, the Regional Hub hosted a three-day workshop in Monrovia, coordinated by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), to outline a roadmap for the Liberia National Soil Information System (LiNSIS). Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), the University of Liberia, and international development partners such as the European Union.

Dr. Samuel Ayodele Mesele, IITA’s country focal person in Liberia, emphasized that access to reliable soil data is crucial for food security and sustainable farming. “Soil is essential and the basis of human existence; however, negligence of soil support over the years has led many of our countries, particularly Liberia in this case, not to have the live soil data,” he said.

Liberia has not conducted a national soil survey since the 1970s. Current recommendations for fertilizer use are based on general guidelines, resulting in low yields and environmental degradation. The absence of a functional soil laboratory has also hampered efforts to collect and analyze data.

To address these gaps, the Regional Hub is partnering with the EU-funded Soils4Liberia Project and other organizations, including the International Fertilizer Development Center, OCP Africa, and the African Plant Nutrition Institute. Plans include strengthening the University of Liberia’s soil laboratory, conducting nutrient omission trials on 50 rice farms to generate site-specific fertilizer recommendations, and developing a digital soil map for Liberia.

Dr. Mesele noted that poor soils contribute to poverty among smallholder farmers, who often lack knowledge and resources to improve soil quality. “Poor soils make the people poor and poor people make the soil poorer,” he said.

The initiative also aims to build technical capacity in soil analytics and ensure research findings inform agricultural policy and extension services. The Central Agricultural Research Institute will oversee field trials, while the Ministry of Agriculture will work to translate research into policy.

Next steps include nationwide soil sampling and analysis, the rollout of digital soil mapping, and the development of site-specific fertilizer strategies, beginning with rice. According to Dr. Mesele, the program is designed not only to improve agricultural productivity but also to strengthen Liberia’s resilience in the face of past shocks, including civil war, Ebola, and COVID-19.

“The Hub will have a tremendous positive impact on the lives of rural farmers in Liberia,” he said. “By the time this soil information system is established, farmers who have information about their land will optimize resource use, reduce wastage, and produce food sustainably.”