The Africa Fertilizer Industry Development Association (AFIDA) has completed the technical transition of AfricaFertilizer, Africa’s main public data platform for fertilizer statistics and market intelligence for the last 16 years. Following the completion of the transition on 12 August 2026, preparations are underway to resume country-level data validation activities, with the first Fertilizer Technical Working Group (FTWG) meeting under AFIDA’s stewardship scheduled for 12–13 November 2026 in Nigeria.
Previously hosted by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), AfricaFertilizer (www.AfricaFertilizer.org) provides fertilizer statistics, market intelligence and analysis to support evidence-based decision-making by governments, industry stakeholders, researchers and development partners across Africa.
The Handover: Ensuring Continuity and Strengthening African Stewardship
The transition followed a stakeholder consultation process initiated in October 2025, which culminated in the selection of the Africa Fertilizer Industry Development Association (AFIDA) as the new institutional host of AfricaFertilizer. Under the new arrangement, the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) will continue to be engaged alongside the African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) as technical partners.
The transition was initiated following IFDC’s announcement in late 2025 of its intention to conclude its hosting responsibilities, prompting a stakeholder-led process to secure the platform’s continuity and long-term sustainability.
AfricaFertilizer traces its origins to the 2006 African Union Fertilizer Summit and was formally established in 2009 as a collaborative initiative involving IFDC, the International Fertilizer Association (IFA) and AFAP. Since its inception, the platform has evolved into an important source of fertilizer statistics and market intelligence, expanding its coverage to 18 sub-Saharan African countries by 2024.
Validation Now the Priority
With the technical migration completed, AFIDA’s immediate priority is to safeguard the quality, consistency and credibility of AfricaFertilizer’s data. This includes reviewing historical datasets transferred under the new hosting arrangement and establishing the necessary validation processes for newly collected fertilizer statistics and market information.
The first Fertilizer Technical Working Group (FTWG) meeting under AFIDA’s stewardship is scheduled for 12–13 November 2026 in Nigeria, marking an important milestone in the resumption of country-level data validation activities.
FTWGs serve as national multistakeholder platforms bringing together government institutions, fertilizer industry representatives, researchers and development partners to review, reconcile and validate fertilizer statistics. These processes are central to ensuring that published data reflects national market realities and is supported by stakeholder consensus.
Building on established FTWG mechanisms, AFIDA plans to progressively resume validation meetings across other participating countries. Additional meeting schedules and locations will be communicated in due course.
Why the Transition matters
Reliable fertilizer statistics and market intelligence are essential to informed decision-making across Africa’s agricultural sector. Governments rely on these insights to guide fertilizer policies, subsidy programs and procurement planning, while industry stakeholders use them to assess market opportunities, anticipate supply requirements and inform investment and distribution decisions.
As Africa continues to address challenges related to fertilizer availability, affordability, accessibility and sustainable soil management, the need for credible, timely and accessible market information remains critical.
The importance of strengthening fertilizer data systems is reinforced by continental commitments under the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan (2024–2034) and the broader Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) agenda, including the commitments emerging from the 2024 Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit in Nairobi and the 2025 Kampala CAADP Summit.
AfricaFertilizer’s transition to AFIDA represents an important step towards strengthening African institutional stewardship of continental fertilizer market intelligence. Under the new hosting arrangement, AFIDA aims to preserve the platform’s neutrality, credibility and public-good mandate while expanding its relevance to emerging industry, policy and investment needs.
Achieving this ambition will require sustained collaboration and support from governments, fertilizer industry stakeholders, development partners and regional institutions to ensure the platform’s long-term operational and financial sustainability.
About AfricaFertilizer
AfricaFertilizer is a continental fertilizer market intelligence initiative established in 2009 to improve the availability, quality and accessibility of fertilizer statistics and market information across Africa. Through its online platform, it provides data on fertilizer production, imports, exports, apparent consumption, prices and broader market developments to support evidence-based policy, investment and business decisions.
Previously hosted by IFDC, AfricaFertilizer is now hosted by the Africa Fertilizer Industry Development Association (AFIDA), with IFDC and AFAP serving as technical partners.
About AFIDA
The Africa Fertilizer Industry Development Association (AFIDA) is the continental industry association dedicated to advancing the development, competitiveness and sustainability of Africa’s fertilizer sector. AFIDA brings together industry stakeholders and strategic partners to strengthen fertilizer markets, promote investment, support policy dialogue and advance sustainable fertilizer access and use across the continent.
As the new institutional host of AfricaFertilizer, AFIDA seeks to strengthen African ownership of fertilizer market intelligence while ensuring the continued provision of credible, accessible and independent data to inform policy, industry development and investment decisions.
