Fertilizer supply chain actors across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) can now access fertilizer data and critical information in a visual format all in one place. AfricaFertilizer, the premier source of fertilizer data in SSA, is on a mission to improve fertilizer data and information access to drive a more competitive fertilizer sector across SSA. This is done by convening national meetings to collate, review, and validate fertilizer data and information with key fertilizer industry actors and making the necessary tools available and accessible.
AfricaFertilizer has developed and deployed seven country-specific dashboards through a joint program with Development Gateway, dubbed Visualizing Insights on Fertilizer for African Agriculture (VIFAA). These dashboards provide easy access to vital fertilizer statistics for business and policy decision-making to stakeholders in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, and Zambia.
“The publicly available dashboards support the entire fertilizer supply chain by holistically addressing the supply, demand, and use of fertilizer data at both national and regional levels. We are highly pleased by the success achieved thus far in deploying these dashboards,” said Sebastian Nduva, AfricaFertilizer Program Lead.
The AfricaFertilizer website (AfricaFertilizer.org) not only provides access to all of these fertilizer dashboards, but also makes it possible for stakeholders to compare fertilizer price, production, trade, and apparent consumption data across 18 countries in SSA.
“Access to trustworthy and important data will revolutionize the fertilizer industry in sub-Saharan Africa, enhancing the quality of business and policy decision-making, promoting the agricultural industry and food systems on a large scale,” noted Ousmane Kone, Project Manager of the VIFAA Program at Development Gateway.
“The innovative dashboards stand for and help promote these efforts to benefit millions of African agriculture value chain actors.”
Ousmane Kone, Development Gateway VIFAA Program Project Manager
The country fertilizer dashboards were co-designed through a consultative process involving public, private, and civil society organizations in the fertilizer sector to ensure the tool responds appropriately to the needs of targeted users. Several workshops were held during the development process, and potential beneficiaries were given the opportunity to provide input, which was integrated into the final product.
These dashboards can facilitate quick access to important information on national fertilizer trade, apparent consumption, prices, fertilizer cost build-ups, subsidies, and fertilizer plant mapping across participating countries, and can operate in conjunction with other tools, such as the Fertilizer Watch, developed by AfricaFertilizer with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, which serve as monitoring and early warning systems around availability and affordability issues in African fertilizer markets. View the dashboards.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, the foundation focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty.
IFDC
An independent non-profit organization, IFDC combines innovative research, market systems development, and strategic partnerships to identify and scale sustainable soil solutions for improved food security and livelihoods around the world.
AfricaFertilizer
AfricaFertilizer is the premier source of fertilizer statistics and information in Africa. The initiative is hosted by IFDC and supported by several partners, including the International Fertilizer Association, Argus Media, USAID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through Development Gateway.
Development Gateway
Development Gateway, An IREX Venture, provides data and digital solutions for international development. It creates tools that help institutions collect and analyze information, strengthen the institutional capacity to use data, and explore what processes are needed to enable evidence-based decisions.
USAID
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) leads the U.S. Government’s international development and disaster assistance through partnerships that save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people emerge from humanitarian crises and progress beyond assistance.
