Determinants of youth participation in agricultural training programs: the case of Fadama program in Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This paper investigated the determinant of youth participation in agricultural training programs using the case of Fadama program. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 977 respondents comprising of 455 participants and 522 non-participants. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study showed that high asset index reduces youths’ likelihood of participation. Also, participation in the program was negatively but significantly influenced by gender and household size but positively by age, years of education, perception of agribusiness, agribusiness ownership and youth’s intentions to start farming. The result of the descriptive showed that majority of the respondents (56%) indicated lack of access to finance as their major barrier to participating in agribusiness and in agribusiness training. Other barriers include lack of mentorship and information. The study therefore recommends the need for strategies to facilitate youth access to credit, mentorship and timely information.

KEYWORDS:

• Youth unemployment
• agricultural training
• training programs
• agribusiness

Acknowledgments

The authors sincerely appreciate the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) for providing funding for this research. Also, sincere appreciation goes to the staff of Fadama Coordinating Offices in Abia, Ekiti, and Kebbi states for their assistance during data collection.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. https://ekitistate.gov.ng/2013/08/features-food-security-in-ekiti-youth-scheme-revives-agric/

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development [2000001374]; African Economic Research Consortium [1298].

Notes on contributors

Dolapo Adeyanju

Dolapo Adeyanju is an Agricultural Economist with vast experience in agricultural field research and project monitoring and evaluation. Dolapo has led research on food security and nutrition, youth agribusiness development and empowerment in Nigeria and also contributed to food security and nutrition researches across Africa. She has over 7years of broad-minded experience in international development, economic research, and impact assessment. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

John Mburu

Prof. John Mburu is the Chairman of the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nairobi, Kenya. He holds a Ph.D and Masters degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Goettingen, Germany. He has worked extensively for over 17 years in areas of Participatory Impact Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation, Cost-benefit analysis; Incentives for conservation of biodiversity and natural resources, Irrigation, Markets and value chain analysis, Climate change, Cross border trade, Microfinance, Poverty and Horticultural commodity value chain analysis. He has widely published in these areas. Prof Mburu is also the Regional Chairman of the Pan-African Consulting Consortium and Institute (PACCI). He is a member of the African Association of Agricultural Economists, International Association for the Study of Commons, International Society for Ecological Economists and African Society of Ecological Economics (ASEE).

Djana Mignouna

Djana Mignouna holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness from Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro - Tanzania under a Research Fellowship from International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). He has worked and documented adoption and impact of agricultural technologies on rural farming households as well as efficiency and productivity in agriculture to improve the livelihoods of farmers in Africa. He has 12+ years of experience in production economics, market development and value chain analysis. He has published extensively in referred journals and conference proceedings.  Currently he is working for IITA, especially in charge of Impact Monitoring & Evaluation of Yam Improvement for Income and Food Security in West Africa Project.