IJHAF | Strategies to Enhance Youths’ Involvement in Agricultural Production Enterprises for Employment and Sustainable Development in Benue State, Nigeria

Indexing and Abstracting

Strategies to Enhance Youths’ Involvement in Agricultural Production Enterprises for Employment and Sustainable Development in Benue State, Nigeria

Mercy Terngu LAN , D.O. ONU , C.W Akaa

International Journal of Horticulture, Agriculture and Food science(IJHAF), Vol-3,Issue-4, July - August 2019, Pages 182-183, 10.22161/ijhaf.3.4.4

Download | Downloads : 6 | Total View : 1266

Abstract:

This paper determined strategies to enhance youths’ involvement in agricultural production enterprises for employment and sustainable development in Benue State. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Survey research design was adopted. The study was carried out in Benue State. The population for the study was 1,691,657 made up of 1,691,515 youths and 142 agricultural extension agents. Multistage sampling technique was employed and 40 respondents made up of 258 youths and 142 extension agents were used for the study. All extension agents were used due to its manageable size. Data was collected using a 30 items questionnaire known as Youths’ Involvement in Agricultural Production Enterprise Questionnaire (YIAPEQ). Face validation of the instrument was done by three experts. Cronbach Alpha was used to determine the reliability and a coefficient of 0.82 was obtained. 400 copies of the instrument were distributed to the respondents and 384 copies were retrieved. Mean, standard deviational and t-test statistical tools were employed. The result showed that all the 13 items were factors inhibiting youths’ participation in agricultural production enterprises while all 17 items were accepted as strategies to enhance youths’ participation in agricultural production enterprises. It was recommended that youths should be mentored and encouraged through provision of loans among others. Also, agricultural production should be linked to social media to communicate innovations in agriculture to youths.

Keywords:

Strategies, Youth, Agricultural enterprises, Employment and sustainable development.

References:

[1] Agbulu, O.N., Asogwa, V.C. and Ekele, G.E. (2013) Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Crop Production for Capacity Building of Youths for Employment in Agriculture in Benue State, Nigeria. Nigerian Vocational Association Journal (NVAJ) 18 (2): 17-25.
[2] Agricultural Act (1947) www.netzonalarchieves.gov.uk>farming
[3] Akpabio, I.A. (2012), Youth employment and agricultural development. The inextricable Siamese twins. 34th inaugural lecture series of the University of Uyo, Nigeria.
[4] Bareja, B.O. (2014) What is agriculture? www.cropsreview.com
[5] Davis, M. (2008) Extension of Sub-Sahara African Overview and Assessment of Current Models and Future. Retrieved for http://majorcorps.net/familymemos/retrievedon 5/7/2010
[6] Education Development Centre (2002). Youth Employment Opportunities in Renewable Energy. A Report, Youth Summit.
[7] Egbule, P.E (2004). Fundamentals and Practice of Agricultural Education. Owerri, Totan publishers.
[8] Eriba, J.O. (2011). Science Education and the Challenges of Youth Unemployment in Nigeria. Implications for National Development. Journal of Educational Innovator (JEIN) 4 (1): 7-13.
[9] Federal Republic of Nigeria (2001). Nation Youth Development Policy. Available at http://www.theprsidency.gov.za/docs/policy/nationalyouthpolicy.pdf
[10] Ikeoje, C.N. (2017). The Place of Agricultural Education in Exploiting Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Agriculture for Food Security in Nigeria. A lead paper presented at the 2nd Annual International Conference held at Aper Aku Auditorium, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigerian 9th – 12th May, 2017.
[11] International Labour Organisation: World Employment Report 1998/1999.
[12] Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (2003) Pearson Education Limited, Edinburgh gate, England.
[13] Lyocks, J.S., Lyocks, S.W.J. and Kagbu, J.H. (2013) Mobilizing Youths for Participating in Agricultural Transformation Agenda: A Grassroots Approach. Journal of Agricultural Extension 17 (2) 78-89.
[14] Mbah, E.N., Ezano, C.I and Odiaka, E.C. (2016) Analysis of Rural Youth Participation in Family Farming in Benue State, Nigeria: Implications for policy. Current Research in Agricultural Sciences 3 (3): 46-54
[15] Nagel, U.J. (1997). Alternative Approaches to Organizing Extension in Samson, B. Improving Agricultural Extension. A Reference Manual 3rd Edition. F.A.O.
[16] National Population Commission of Nigeria (web) National Bureau of Statistics 2016 population projection.
[17] Nwafor, M. Ehor, E.C., Chukwu, O.J and Amuka, J.I. (2011). Cost effective agriculture growth for poverty reduction in Nigeria. Evidence and policy implications. AIAE research paper 6. Africa Institute for Applied Economics. Enugu.
[18] Olukundun, A.M., Falola, B.H and Ibudunni, A.S. (2014) Agro-Business as a Remedy for Youth Unemployment Towards the Achieement of Sustainable Development in Nigeria: A Comparative Prespectives from Kwara State Agro Business Economy. Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development 5 (3) 2014
[19] Osinem, E.C. (2018) Managing Agricultural Education and Training Resources, Principles and Methods. Enugu, Belony international publishers.
[20] Oyakhilomen, O. and Zibah, R.G (2014). Agricultural production and economic growth in Nigeria. Implications for Rural Poverty Alleviation. Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture, 53 (3): 207-223.
[21] Salami, C.G.E. (2013) Youth Unemployment in Nigeria: A Time for Creative Intervention. International Journal of Business and Marketing Management. 1 (2): 18-26.
[22] United Nations Development Programme (2012) African Human Development Report. Towards a Food Secure Future. New York.
[23] United Nations General Assembly (1987) Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future. Oslo, Norway: United Nations General Assembly Development and International Co-operation: Environment.
[24] United Nations Youth Agenda (2004). Empowering for Development and Peace.