UM6P and Nigeria Unite to Cultivate Africa’s Fertilizer Future
As AfCFTA opens new trade frontiers, UM6P steps forward as Africa’s training hub for a $16 billion fertilizer market.
Fertilizer as a Gateway to African Integration
In a strategic engagement with Nigerian officials and agribusiness leaders, University Mohammed VI Polytechnic reaffirmed its commitment to developing skilled manpower for Africa’s booming fertilizer sector. This aligns with the transformative opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which could boost regional income by $450 billion and lift 30 million people out of poverty by 2035, according to the World Bank.
Khalid Baddou, UM6P’s Chief of Staff and Director of Institutional Affairs, emphasized the university’s role in supporting job creation across the fertilizer value chain, estimated at $16 billion.
With support from leading players like OCP and Dangote, new fertilizer plants are emerging across the continent. Baddou noted that UM6P is ready to offer specialized training programs for technicians, engineers, and plant managers to help run these facilities efficiently and sustainably.With support from leading players like OCP and Dangote, new fertilizer plants are emerging across the continent. Baddou noted that UM6P is ready to offer specialized training programs for technicians, engineers, and plant managers to help run these facilities efficiently and sustainably.
From Research to Regional Impact
UM6P has already invested heavily in the sector, with cutting-edge research labs, pilot plants, and a faculty of top experts in soil science, chemical engineering, and sustainable agriculture. The university’s capacity enables it to design fertilizers tailored to African soils, evaluate environmental impacts, and foster innovations for climate-resilient farming.
The collaboration with Nigeria will go beyond technical skills. It will include capacity building, research partnerships, industrial support, and exchange programmes aimed at empowering local professionals.
According to Bruno Gerard, Head of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, UM6P’s strategy is to become a continental center of excellence for fertilizer education and agro-bioscience, tackling challenges such as food security, biodiversity use, and adaptation to climate change.
Human Capital at the Heart of Agricultural Transformation
UM6P’s broader mission is clear: to transform African agriculture through human capital development, by supporting both industrial and smallholder farming systems. The university stresses the role of agricultural extension services, particularly in underserved rural areas, and is actively exploring ways to blend digital tools with hands-on field training to empower both literate and illiterate farmers.
As AfCFTA unlocks intra-African trade, the fertilizer sector becomes a strategic lever for industrial growth and continental self-sufficiency—and UM6P is positioning itself as the educational engine behind this transition.
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