The Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (NISS) has made this resolution to be spread to all that efforts are to be made to curb the practice of uncertified soil scientists working against the standard practice in the country.
This was made known by the Registrar of the institute, Professor Victor Chude in Abuja during the induction ceremony of the newly registered soil scientists.
He said that the induction of new members into the Institute was to ensure for a reliable and strategically effective structure for the standard practices and to prevent quackery which is undermining their professional practice in the country.
The Registrar said that medical doctors and soil scientists play the same role in administrating treatments. Doctors treat human beings while soil scientists do treat the soil.
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If the soil is not well treated and attended to, it won’t perform its normal routine function of supporting crops with the required nutrients to prevent it from producing good output. He noted that the NISS Act 2017 is to regulate the practice of soil scientists in Nigeria and to control the use and management of the soil resources to sustain soil quality.
He said that “with the induction of the soil scientists, there is going to be an awareness campaign created for the people to know how we operate. We are going to have an amendment to the Act as soil is a vital and non-renewable component of the ecosystem.”
Other notable professional present at the occasion, the President of NISS and the Chairman of the Council, Professor Ayo Ogunkunle, further stressed that unprofessional practice of fake soil scientists could negatively affect several of the farmers and the society at large without notice for a longer period just to bring severe damaging impact.
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The President also emphasized the importance of the regulating body in setting a standard for the qualification and skills required to become a soil scientist.
He noted that soil survey and mapping in the country were long overdue and thus solicited for the government’s support in this regard to ensure appropriate use and management of soil resources through an adequate knowledge of the various soil components and characteristics.
