Siki Kigongo speaks with Dr. Donald Kelechi Madukwe, Head of Agronomy at OCP Africa, about the vital role of soil health in transforming Africa’s food systems ahead of the 2025 Summit in Senegal. They discuss the continent’s soil challenges—acidity, nutrient loss, and low productivity—and why customised, data-driven solutions are needed instead of one-size-fits-all approaches. Dr. Madukwe highlights OCP Africa’s work in soil testing, nutrient mapping, and tailored fertilizer blends, along with innovations such as digital soil kits and AI-powered advisory tools that are already boosting yields and restoring degraded land. Emphasising collaboration among governments, researchers, the private sector, and farmers, the episode points to AFSF25 as a catalyst for scaling climate-smart, youth-led soil solutions. It concludes with a call for young Africans to champion soil care and for listeners to stay connected with AGRA and summit platforms to drive soil innovation forward.
