Impact of Youth-in-Agribusiness Program on Employment Creation in Nigeria

Abstract

The increasing rate of youth unemployment in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, remains among the challenges to social and economic stability. Accordingly, the Nigerian government implemented several interventions, including the Youth-in-Agribusiness (YIA) program to reduce youth unemployment. However, the effect of these programs on gainful employment creation is yet to be documented. Therefore, this study examined the impact of the YIA program on creating gainful employment among the youth. Multistage random sampling was used to obtain cross-sectional data from 668 youth in Southwestern Nigeria. Propensity score matching and endogenous switching probit techniques were used for the estimations. Results indicated that variables such as educational attainment, access to training, non-agricultural activity, membership in a youth organization, access to credit, productive resources, and youth location were significant and positively influenced youth decision to participate in the YIA program. Furthermore, participation in the YIA program has a significant positive impact on gainful employment among the youth. Therefore, the study recommends that strengthening social capital such as youth organization, credit scheme (financed by private and government), vocational training, and educational system is vital in enhancing participation in the YIA program and eventually gainful employment of youth.

Rural youth interest in economic activities along the agricultural value chain: empirical evidence from KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) and implications

“…This is as expected as land has been identified by studies in the past as one of the major constraints affecting youth participation in agriculture. This is one of the most consistent findings in the literature (Abdullah et al, 2012;Baloyi, 2010;Bello et al, 2021;Bezu and Holden, 2014;FAO, 2014;Gichimu and Njeru, 2014). The cultural norms of the study area dictate that land is allocated to married people.…”

“…Poverty and food insecurity are common challenges faced by the majority of people living in remote areas of many developing countries, especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (AGRA, 2020;Bello et al, 2021;FAO, 2014). According to Mills (2012), the lagging economic growth of the SSA region and the persistence of socio-economic challenges, years after independence, can be attributed to the lack of human and government capacity, poor infrastructure and trade access, the effects of too little (or too much) foreign aid, the legacy of arbitrary colonial boundaries, and low productivity, to mention a few.…”

“…According to the youth, agriculture is a part-time job and not a profession or livelihood strategy. Youth prefer non-agricultural careers / off-farm employment because they consider them as more stable, providing relatively more income, and requiring less physical labor (Bello et al, 2021;Rietveld et al, 2020). The majority of these studies, however, emanate from research conducted on primary agriculture.…”

“…These linkages will collectively create a conducive beneficial environment for agricultural activities. In addition, Arslan et al (2021) and Bello et al (2021) highlighted that youth inherent unique cognitive abilities and desirable traits (such as creativity, innovative thinking, and flexibility) which are necessary for the transformation, development, and sustainability of the agricultural sector, especially in the era of the fourth industrial revolution.…”

Assessing the Impact of Youth-in-Agribusiness Program on Poverty and Vulnerability to Poverty in Nigeria

“…For instance, Nigeria has a population of more than 200 million, with 55.4% of the population either unemployed or working in low-wage jobs [9,10]. As a result of rising unemployment, which is creating a pathway to poverty and vulnerability to poverty, young people are engaging in illegal activities or risking their lives to migrate illegally to wealthy countries in search of better opportunities [11]. Rural-urban migration within the country is also persistent due to differences in access to livelihood assets.…”