There would be no food security without proper soil management – NISS

The Nigeria Institute of Soil Science, NISS, yesterday said that food security would remain a mirage in Nigeria if the soil is not properly managed.

The group said that farmers need to have proper knowledge of the soils in order to know the types of crops that would grow  better on them, adding that the future of generations unborn would be bleak if our soil is not properly managed.

The South East Co-ordinator of NISS, Prof. Charles Asadu made the call at Nsukka, Enugu State during the sensitisation of secondary school students on career opportunities in Soil Science.

He listed job opportunities inherent in Soil Science to include working in research institutes; oil and gas industries as polluted soil remediators; fertilizer and agro chemical industries, higher institutions and construction companies among others.

Prof. Asadu said that the belief that farming is for poor is erroneous, adding that agriculture has gone beyond the crude and unrefined methods.

While addressing pressmen after the sensitisation programme at the Community Secondary School, Alor Uno, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, he said “the motive of this programme is to sensitize secondary school students, especially, those in SS1-SS3 on job opportunities inherent in Soil Science because we believe that most people don’t know.

“We let them know that there are various job opportunities in Soil Science more than we have in any other course in Faculty of Agriculture, starting from food production, to environmental management, oil and gas polluted soil remediation, agrobusinesses , banking , ministry of agriculture and research institutes among others.

“The essence is to make people know that there is an Institute established by the Act of the Federal Government to monitor the profession of Soil Science in the country in order to prevent quackery in the profession.

“Our environment and soil particularly are being degraded because people just claim that they know how to manage the soil. Soil is a living thing which must be taken care of just as human beings and it is the responsibility of registered Soil Scientists to do that,” he said.

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The Principal of the Community Secondary School, Alor Uno, Cosmas Odo, said the sensitisation programme has exposed both the staff and students of the school  to the invaluable facts in Soil Science profession.

He further said that the students have been better informed in making their career choices because of the various job opportunities in Soil Science.

Equally speaking after the programme, a students of the school, Chidiebere Ukwueze, and Precious Ezeja, said that the lessons  they gained deepened their knowledge on soil management and career choices in Soil Science, adding that they would consider the course during their university education.

The sensitisation team equally visited other secondary schools in Nsukka Local Government Area including Hill View Secondary School, Nsukka, among others.