Evaluation Of State Coordinated Agricultural Development Programmes And Empowerment Of Unemployed Youths: A Case Study Of Cross River State

Evaluation Of State Coordinated Agricultural Development Programmes And Empowerment Of Unemployed Youths: A Case Study Of Cross River State

Chapiter 1

Introduction

1.1 The Study’s Background

Before beginning this investigation, it will be crucial to discuss the situation of poverty because it is a crucial component of this topic. The government of Nigeria has long been concerned about the issue of poverty. Attention was first focused on rural development and municipal planning as a viable solution to the problem (Agu, 2013). Nigeria has a high rate of youth unemployment as a result of a lack of opportunities, as well as the physical and mental problems brought on by poverty. When faced with challenges, some young individuals engage in unlawful or violent activity, while others become discouraged or depressed. Young people are particularly prone to the negative effects of unemployment, which include a lack of skills, low self-esteem, marginalization, poverty, and the waste of enormous human resources. Unemployment contributes to a wide range of societal issues. Teenagers’ empowerment through agricultural development projects that offer them opportunities for self-employment in the agricultural sector may help solve these challenges of unemployment (Agu, 2013).

The World Bank (2003) reports that the majority of people living in rural areas are uneducated, jobless, and poor. According to low income statistics, poverty is most prevalent in rural areas. Rural areas are plagued by problems like malnutrition, a lack of education, a short life expectancy, and poor housing (International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), 2012). Rural areas thus lack the infrastructure required to make life more enjoyable and raise the standard of living for those who live there. Lack of participation in civic, sociocultural, and decision-making activities is another indicator of poverty. It is intimately related to not having access to or control over resources. Youths who lack these resources have limited access to government services, markets, institutions, and jobs. Therefore, particular measures must be taken to reduce adolescent poverty. By giving young people opportunities for meaningful employment, agricultural development programs can assist to reduce poverty (Oyekale, 2011).

Additionally, poverty in Nigeria also includes new elements such as food insecurity, poor access to public services and infrastructure, a dirty environment, illiteracy and ignorance, a lack of protection for life and property, and poor governance. Administrations have attempted a plethora of policies and initiatives over the years in an effort to restore agriculture’s prominence in the economy in reaction to the nation’s declining agricultural performance (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), 2005).

Situation Of The Problem

The problem of youth unemployment affects all the states in Nigeria, not simply Cross River state. Youth have the capacity to contribute significantly to the advancement of agriculture. The limits that farmers confront are not generally taken into consideration in Nigerian agricultural policy and programs. Youths working in agricultural development encounter a lack of interest in the industry as a result of laborious farm operations, a lack of a market for agricultural products that is competitive, a lack of start-up capital, a lack of labor-saving technology that makes operations easier, and a lack of finance and credit options, to name a few. They consequently encounter significant economic challenges.

This has led to rural-urban migration and left the majority of agricultural output in the hands of elderly people who frequently produce at a subsistence level. This has also driven teenagers to seek employment in other areas of the economy in order to acquire financial independence. However, empowering these young people can significantly contribute to opening up job chances in the agriculture industry. In Cross River state, this study aims to assess state-coordinated agricultural development projects and young unemployment.

1.3 Study’s Objective

This study’s main goal is to assess state-coordinated agricultural development programs and youth unemployment empowerment in Cross River state. Consequently, the following goals;

1. To assess the state of the state of Cross River’s integrated agriculture projects.

2. To find out how empowered young people without jobs are in Cross River state with regard to agriculture.

3. To ascertain the youths’ willingness to participate in coordinated agricultural initiatives when given the opportunity.

1.4 Questions For Research

The following queries serve as the study’s compass;

1. How well-coordinated are the agricultural initiatives in Cross River state right now?

2. To what extent are young people without jobs empowered in Cross River state with regard to agriculture?

3. Will empowered youth be open to participating in coordinated agriculture programs?

1.5 Relationship To Other Studies

The government and the agricultural industry would benefit greatly from this study since it will shed light on the problem of youth unemployment in Cross River state. It will help the government take the required steps to guarantee that young people are fully supported and empowered with regard to agricultural projects. Additionally, this study will be beneficial because it will supplement earlier research on the subject. It will offer resources for other researchers working on closely similar subjects.

1.6 The Study’s Scope

The current state of integrated agricultural initiatives in the state of Cross River will be covered in this study, along with the degree to which unemployed adolescents are empowered with regard to agriculture. Only the state of Cross River will be covered.

1.7 Limitations of the research

The researcher encountered financial constraints during the course of this investigation that prevented them from expanding the study’s scope and going further into the subject matter.

1.8 Term Definition

1. YOUTH EMPOWERMENT: The process of motivating kids and teenagers to take ownership of their life. They achieve this by addressing their circumstances, acting to increase their access to resources, and altering their beliefs, values, and attitudes in order to change their awareness.

2. AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT: This phase lays the groundwork for agricultural potential to be realized.