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Abstract The growth performance of Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. in soils treated with arsenic ions and mercury ions and inoculated with fungi species two weeks after planting was investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of soil inoculants to the response of Abelmoschus esculentus plants grown in treated soils. Two fungi organisms, Aspergilus niger and Aspergilus terreus were selected out of five fungi organisms isolated from a heavy metal contaminated soil. The isolates were used to inoculate soils treated with, 50,100 and 150 ppm As3+ ion solution and 30, 50 and 70 ppm Hg2+ ion solution. Performance of Abelmoschus esculentus plants were observed on these soils and data were collected for germination, morphological and reproductive characters, chlorophyll content, activities of nitrate reductase, catalase, and super oxide dismutase. Others include activities of soil enzymes like urease, phosphatase, dehydrogenase and cellulase. Results showed that the fungi organisms (soil inoculants) aided the plants morphologically as increase in number of leaves of produced were recorded. Plant height was observed to increase in 150 and 100 ppm As3+ treated soils from 17.60 cm to 30.97 cm and 19.50 cm to 26.86 cm in control and Aspergillus terreus inoculated soils respectively. Delayed flowering was observed in plants grown in As3+ treated soils. The fungi organisms affected SOD and CAT activities in leaves of Abelmoschus esculentus, in both As3+ and Hg2+ treatments. The soil inoculants were also seen to stimulate increase in phosphatase and cellulase activities in As3+ treated soils and dehydrogenase activity in Hg2+ treated soils. While soil urease activity was seemingly unaffected. This study clearly shows that the soil inoculants contributed immensely to alleviating the heavy metal stress encountered by the Abelmoschus esculentus plants
