By Atoyebi Nike
The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has completed the handover of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) to the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), marking a new phase for one of Nigeria’s flagship agricultural programmes.
The announcement came during the annual PFI Stakeholder Forum in Abuja, which brought together key players in the country’s agricultural value chain to review the programme’s achievements and chart its future direction.
Launched in 2016 to overhaul Nigeria’s ailing fertilizer supply chain, the PFI has recorded significant growth under NSIA’s management. From just four active blending plants at inception, the initiative has expanded to over 90 operational facilities nationwide and delivered more than 128 million bags of high-quality fertilizer to farmers.
NSIA Managing Director and CEO Aminu Umar-Sadiq hailed the handover as “a celebration of impact and a signal of the initiative’s future readiness.” He noted that the PFI has not only revived the domestic fertilizer industry but also created over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs while reducing the nation’s dependence on imported products.
“The PFI is a model of what collaboration between public institutions and the private sector can achieve,” Umar-Sadiq said. “As we transition to MOFI, we reaffirm our focus on catalyzing impactful investments and supporting initiatives that deliver measurable outcomes for Nigeria.”
MOFI CEO, Dr. Armstrong Ume Takang, pledged to build on the programme’s achievements. “The PFI-NPK programme has been vital in transforming Nigeria’s fertilizer ecosystem, from expanding blending capacity to advancing food security goals,” he said.
The transition to MOFI is expected to bring enhanced financial and operational sustainability to the initiative, with plans for targeted geographic expansion, adoption of wet blend technology, and deeper private sector participation.
