Evaluation of constraints to Youths’ Participation in Agricultural Intervention Income Generating Activitiesin Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Despite its importance, inadequacy of funds for purchase of inputs, minimal markets linkages and intra-group conflict of interest accounted for the most worrisome bottleneck to youth participation in Agricultural intervention. The study therefore evaluated the constraints to youths’ participation in Agricultural intervention income generating activities in Ondo State, Nigeria. The study specifically described the socio-economic characteristics of youths; determined the participation level of youth participating in Agricultural intervention income generating activities and examine constraints militating against youths’ participation in Agricultural intervention income generating activities and level of participation in Agricultural intervention income generating activities.

            A multistage sampling technique was adopted to select one hundred and eighty eight (188) youth farmers for the study. A structured questionnaire was employed to obtain primary data from respondents. Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to analyze the relationship between the constraints to the youths’ participation in Agricultural intervention income generating and level of participation in Agricultural intervention income generating activities and level of participation in Agricultural intervention income generating activities.

The mean age of the respondents from Ondo State was 34 years. It was also revealed that majority of the respondents from Ondo State (70.2%) were male. Majority of the respondents from Ondo State (70.2%) were married. Over 90.0% of the respondents from the state had formal education. The result of thePearson Product Moment correlation analysis revealed that problem of group formation (r = -0.437*), problem of meeting to contributing funds (r = -0.197*), inadequate land access to practice most of recommended technologies  (r = -0.280*), poor asset acquisition (r = -0.232*), poor access to advisory services (r = -0.282*), inadequate access to inputs support by the participants (r = -0.355*), inadequate access to capital supports/grants (r = -0.101*), inadequate capital building and training (r = -0.099*), inadequate gender sensitivity (r = -0.307*), poor coordination of participants (r = -0.283*), communal factors e.g. farmers/Fulani conflict, land dispute, resources allocation conflicts(r = -0.133*) and lack of interest etc. (r = -0.133*) were significantly related with level of participation in Agricultural intervention income generating activities.

Based on the findings, it was concluded that several factors had significantly constrained level of youth’s participation in Agricultural intervention income generating activities in the study area.

The study therefore recommends that the problem of group formation should be adequately addressed by grouping like-minded people together to prevent future conflicts to fulfil the objectives of the programme. Also, there should be prompt release of fund by the programme coordinators to youth coordinator for speedy implementation of projects to facilitate youth participation in the programme to reduce the rate of unemployment in the country. Likewise, there should be adequate access to inputs support by the participants to avoid delay in the implementation of the projects.