19Establishing balanced nutrient requirements for maize (Zea mays L.) in the Northern Nigerian 20 Savanna is paramount to develop site-specific fertilizer recommendations to increase maize 21 yield, profits of farmers and avoid negative environmental impacts of fertilizer use. The model 22 QUEFTS (QUantitative Evaluation of Fertility of Tropical Soils) was used to estimate balanced 23 nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) requirements for maize production in the 24 Northern Nigerian Savanna. Data from on-farm nutrient omission trials conducted in 2015 and 25 2016 rainy seasons in two agro-ecological zones in the Northern Nigerian Savanna (i.e. 26 Northern Guinea Savanna "NGS" and Sudan Savanna "SS") were used to parameterize and 27 validate the QUEFTS model. The relations between indigenous soil N, P, and K supply and 28 soil properties were not well described with the QUEFTS default equations and consequently 29 new and better fitting equations were derived. The average fertilizer recovery fractions of N, P 30 and K in the NGS were generally comparable with the QUEFTS default values, but lower 31 recovery fractions of these nutrients were observed in the SS. The parameters of maximum 32 accumulation (a) and dilution (d) in kg grain per kg nutrient for the QUEFTS model obtained 33 were respectively 35 and 79 for N, 200 and 527 for P and 25 and 117 for K in the NGS zone 34 and 32 and 79 for N, 164 and 528 for P and 24 and 136 for K in the SS zone. The model 35 predicted a linear relationship between grain yield and above-ground nutrient uptake until yield 36reached about 50 to 60% of the yield potential. When the yield target reached 60% of the 37 potential yield (i.e. 6.0 tonnes per hectare), the model showed above-ground nutrient uptake of 38 2 19.4, 3.3 and 23.0 kg N, P, and K, respectively, per one tonne of maize grain in the NGS, and 39 17.3, 5.3 and 26.2 kg N, P and K, respectively, per one tonne of maize grain in the SS. These 40 results suggest an average NPK ratio in the plant dry matter of about 5.9:1:7.0 for maize in the 41 NGS and 3.3:1:4.9 for maize in the SS. There was a close agreement between observed and 42 parameterized QUEFTS predicted yields across the two agro-ecological zones (R 2 = 0.70 for 43 the NGS and 0.86 for the SS). We concluded that the QUEFTS model can be used for balanced 44 nutrient requirement estimations and development of site-specific fertilizer recommendations 45 for maize intensification in the Northern Nigerian Savanna.46