Entrepreneurial Skills and Job Preference among Agriculture Undergraduates: Evidence from Niger State, Nigeria

Key Findings -Low level of skills acquisition in the agriculture sector limits youth employment in the economy, even when the preference for agro- based employment is high. -The type of secondary education received by students and their perceptions of the agriculture profession are key factors in attracting youths to the agriculture sector, with implications for the government diversification drive. -The major challenges faced under the SIWES are difficulties in securing job placement, funding and duration of the scheme

Entrepreneurial Skills and Job Preference among Agriculture Undergraduates: Evidence from Niger State, Nigeria

Key Findings -Low level of skills acquisition in the agriculture sector limits youth employment in the economy, even when the preference for agro- based employment is high. -The type of secondary education received by students and their perceptions of the agriculture profession are key factors in attracting youths to the agriculture sector, with implications for the government diversification drive. -The major challenges faced under the SIWES are difficulties in securing job placement, funding and duration of the scheme

Dynamic Relationship between Vulnerability to Climate Change, Livelihood Diversification, Perception on Climate Change and Income of the Farmers in North Central Nigeria

Aims: Although a number of researchers have outlined the strategies farmers adopt to ensure stability of family income yet literature provides less understanding on the dynamic relationship between vulnerability to climate change, livelihood diversification, perception on climate change and income of the farmers. It is therefore the aim of this study to establish the relationship between these concepts. Study Design: Original research. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in North Central Nigeria in 2019. Methodology: Multi-stage sampling technique was employed in the collection of primary data for this study. In the first stage, two (2) States were randomly selected from North Central Nigeria. In the second stage, five (5) Local Government Areas (LGAs) were randomly selected from the selected States, giving a total of ten (10) LGAs. In the third stage, sampling of farm households in each community were determined proportionately using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) formula. Data were collected from 483 farm households via questionnaire administered by trained enumerators. The data were analyzed using adaptive capacity index, vulnerability index and seemingly unrelated regression. Results: Result of the seemingly unrelated regression revealed that increase in the number of livelihood activities and income of the farmer reduces vulnerability to climate change. More so, increase in the income of the farmer increases the number of livelihood activities the farmer engaged in and also increases the perception of the farmer on climate change. Conclusion: farmers should diversify their sources of livelihood so as to reduce their vulnerability and improve resilience to climate change. The level of literacy among farm households and availability of social amenities should be looked into when formulating policies and developmental issues as they reduces vulnerability to climate change. Financial institutions should help facilitate access to credit by farmers so as to stimulate the adoption of climate smart practices

Enterprise Analyses Across Cassava Agribusiness Value Chain in Niger-Delta Region of Nigeria: Implications for Agribusiness, Women and Youth Policies

The issues of youth unemployment, inequality, poverty, economic recession and associated anti- · social activities are critical challenges currently limiting the development of the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. This study therefore assessed the various cassava agribusiness value chain nodes in the Region, with the view to ascertaining their returns on investment and propensity for attracting the pool of unemployed youths and women into agribusiness and uplifting their livelihoods. Evidence from the study suggests that cassava enterprises, particularly processing, is most promising to attract the youths and women into agribusiness, given its high returns on investment. It thus becomes imperative that cassava enterprises be incorporated into on-going and proposed development interventions of the private sector, government and development partners, with a view to actualising the policy objective of women and youth empowerment in the country, and in particular, the Niger Delta Region, as detailed in the Agricultural Promotion Policy and the Economic and Growth Recovery Plan. The study further recommends that the cassava value chain enterprises should be deployed as focal commodities for the proposed agribusiness incubation centres and the agroindustrial parks, with a view to causing entrepreneurs empowerment and national output, while serving as antidote to economic recession