Webinar summary

Soil information is a critical foundation for sustainable land management, food security, climate resilience, and ecosystem restoration in Africa. Although a substantial amount of soil data exists across ministries, research institutions, universities, and private-sector actors, its full potential remains underutilized. Decision-makers often face challenges in accessing reliable, timely, and policy-relevant soil information needed to support key applications such as land-use planning, fertilizer recommendations, and environmental reporting.

These challenges stem from fragmented datasets, inconsistent standards, unclear data ownership, and gaps in quality assurance, along with variations in sampling methods, analytical approaches, and data management practices that limit comparability and reuse. Limited interoperability further constrains the integration of soil information into national and continental systems. Recognizing these challenges, the African Soil Partnership (AfSP), in collaboration with the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS), identified soil information systems, data harmonization, ownership, and quality assurance as priority areas for capacity development. These priorities reflect the urgent need for coordinated efforts to strengthen soil data governance, improve data quality, and enhance the usability of soil information across scales.

In response, the African Soil Partnership (AfSP), of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP), is organizing this webinar, in collaboration with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the African Soil Science Society (ASSS), to strengthen knowledge exchange, enhance coordination, and align efforts on soil data governance and systems. The event aims to build a shared understanding of soil information systems and identify practical pathways to improve data integration, accessibility, and application in support of evidence-based decision-making and sustainable development across Africa. 

1. The webinar aims to strengthen African countries' capacity to develop and use effective national soil information systems that support evidence-based decision-making, while enabling interoperability with continental processes under AfSP and GSP. The specific objectives are to:
2. Clarify what an effective national soil information system looks like in practice, including data, standards, services, governance, and use.
3. Share practical approaches for soil data harmonization, quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC), and country-led validation of soil information products.
4. Explore how countries can connect national soil information systems to continental reporting and targeting needs through interoperability, without compromising national ownership and stewardship of data.
5. Identify priority follow-up actions for AfSP, such as establishing a community of practice, organizing technical clinics, or developing a roadmap for minimum standards and governance practices.
6. To introduce the new INSII membership model and onboard associate members to strengthen collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capacity development in soil information systems across Africa. 

Webinar objectives 

• Enhance shared understanding among AfSP members and partners of the minimum building blocks required for effective national soil information systems.
• Increase awareness of feasible QA/QC and validation workflows, including the critical role of harmonized laboratory methods supported through the Global Soil Laboratory Network (GLOSOLAN).
• Identify a shortlist of priority standards, templates, and practices that AfSP and GSP can promote, such as minimum metadata requirements, QA/QC checklists, and validation guidance.
• Strengthen collaboration between National Soil Partnerships, laboratories, technical networks, and decision-makers.
• Agree on concrete next steps for follow-up capacity development, including the establishment of an AfSP community of practice on soil information systems.
• To raise awareness of the new INSII membership model among the African soil information community, provide guidance on membership opportunities and requirements, to foster stronger collaboration, knowledge exchange, and capacity development in soil information systems across the continent.

Target audiences/participants 

Participants will include AfSP Focal Points, the AfSP leadership, ITPS members from the region, and stakeholders targeted for inclusion in National Soil Partnerships (e.g. civil society, academia, farmers, extension officers, researchers, soil testing service providers, policymakers, input providers, etc.). The webinar will also engage members of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the research arm of the African Union, as well as members of the African Soil Science Society (ASSS).

Speakers  

Dr Aggrey Agumya

Executive Director, FARA Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Ghana Dr. Aggrey Agumya is the Executive Director and Head of Mission of FARA. He joined FARA in 2006 as Programme Officer of the Sub‑Saharan Africa Challenge Programme (SSA‑CP), a continental flagship programme. Prior to joining FARA, he worked as a Geo‑Information Systems analyst at the World Agroforestry Centre’s regional programme for Southern Africa, focusing on identifying priority geographical domains for out‑scaling agroforestry technologies. He has deep expertise in Africa’s agricultural research and innovation landscape.

Dr Kennedy Were

Chief Research Scientist, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization Dr. Were provides reliable, accessible, and practical soil information to support sustainable land management, environmental conservation, soil fertility assessments, land suitability assessments, resilient agri‑food systems, and informed decision‑making. He applies advanced scientific methods, emerging technologies, soil geography, geo‑information science, and geospatial soil data analytics. He has extensive experience in soil geographic database development, geospatial soil data modelling, and soil information quality assurance.

Dr Job Kihara

Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Kenya Dr. Job Kihara is a soil health expert with over 20 years of experience, mostly within smallholder farmer contexts in sub‑Saharan Africa. He focuses on improving crop productivity and nutritional quality through integrated soil fertility management. He is team leader for soil and water management within the Alliance and co‑lead of the Excellence in Agronomy (EiA) initiative of One CGIAR.

Dr Edward Yeboah

CSIR‑Soil Research Institute, Ghana Dr. Edward Yeboah is a Chief Research Scientist at CSIR‑Soil Research Institute, Ghana. He works with agricultural value chain actors to develop innovations, build capacity, and promote information exchange on soil fertility management. He has held leadership roles including President of the Soil Science Society of Ghana, President of the IFS Alumni Association in Ghana, Ghana Focal Point for the Global Soil Partnership (GSP), and Vice Chair (English) of the African Soil Partnership (AfSP).

Dr Rolf Gael Mabicka Obame

Chair, Africa Soil Laboratory Network (AFRILAB), Gabon Dr. Mabicka Obame is a soil scientist and Associate Professor at the National Institute of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Franceville, Gabon. His research focuses on shifting slash‑and‑burn agriculture and its effects on carbon and nitrogen dynamics in tropical soils, as well as soil data interoperability and laboratory quality control. He contributes to ECOTROP Gabon and FAO soil health initiatives and currently chairs AFRILAB, the Sub‑Saharan Africa representation of GLOSOLAN.

Mr Paul van Genuchten

ISRIC – World Soil Information Paul is a data specialist with a Master’s degree in Soil Science from Wageningen University. He previously worked as a software engineer in Geo‑IT, focusing on data findability using Open Geospatial Standards. Since joining ISRIC in 2021, he works on FAIR data and knowledge organization, with emphasis on findability and interoperability of soil observation data and soil property maps.

Dr Christian Thine

Senior Lecturer (Irrigation and Water Resources Engineering), University of Nairobi, Kenya Dr. Thine is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Environmental and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Nairobi. His research covers soil information systems, soil degradation, digital soil mapping, irrigation (water infiltration, water‑retention characteristics, soil salinization), and agricultural engineering technologies such as solar PV water pumping systems and superabsorbent polymers. He contributed to the establishment of the African Union Soil Observatory.

Professor Oluwole (Wole) Fantubi

FARA, Ghana Professor Fantubi is Acting Director of Research and Innovation at FARA. He leads implementation of the African Union’s Soil Initiative for Africa (SIA), translating policy into actionable science through harmonized baseline soil databases, scaling of land management technologies, and technical support for the AU Soil Observatory (AUSO).

Dr Cargele Masso

President, African Soil Science Society, Kenya Dr. Masso is Principal Scientist at ILRI, leading global engagement and co‑learning for the CGIAR Multifunctional Landscapes programme. He previously directed the CGIAR Impact Area Platform on Environmental Health and Biodiversity and contributed to IITA’s Natural Resource Management programme. He has participated in international networks such as the International Nitrogen Initiative and is the current Chair of the African Soil Science Society (ASSS).

Agenda

14.30–14.40 (10 mins) Welcome and opening remarks • Linkages to AfSP priorities and ongoing initiatives Yusuf Yigini, Land and Water Officer, Global Soil Partnership, FAO

14.40–14.50 (10 mins) Setting the scene: Why soil information systems matter for national and continental decision‑making Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director, FARA

14.50–15.05 (10 mins + 5 mins) Continental experience spotlight: Ongoing FAO/GSP work on soil information in Africa Isabel Luotto, Land and Water Officer, FAO The new membership model of INSII Kennedy Were, Regional African Representative, INSII Steering Committee; KALRO

15.05–15.20 (15 mins) Country experience spotlight: Soil information for nutrient and soil health management — examples from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Malawi, and Kenya Job Kihara, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

15.20–15.35 (15 mins) Country experience spotlight: Ghana experience — platforms, governance, decision‑support products, challenges Edward Yeboah, CSIR‑Soil Research Institute; Vice Chair, AfSP

15.35–15.50 (15 mins) Harmonization and QA/QC, including laboratories • Improving soil data comparability and reliability • Role of GLOSOLAN in harmonization, proficiency testing, QA/QC Rolf Gael Mabicka Obame, Chair AFRILAB

15.50–16.05 (15 mins) Interoperability and data governance • Metadata, identifiers, web services • Tiered access and governance models Paul van Genuchten, ISRIC – World Soil Information

16.05–16.20 (15 mins) From data to decisions (Technical aspects): Indicators, dashboards, policy‑aligned guidance Christian Thine Omuto, University of Nairobi

16.20–16.35 (15 mins) From data to decisions (Policy and practice) Fatunbi Oluwole, Acting Director for Research and Innovation, FARA

16.35–16.45 (10 mins) Advancing Soil Information Systems through Professional Networks Cargele Masso, President, African Soil Science Society

16.45–17.00 (15 mins) Q&A session Janet Nabwami, Global Soil Partnership, FAO

17.00–17.05 (5 mins) Closing remarks Anne Muriuki, Chair, African Soil Partnership (AfSP)