DRIVING YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN AGRICULTURE THROUGH AGRICULTURAL

This paper focuses on driving youth participation through agricultural sector development and funding as the way of reducing unemployment in Nigeria. It examined the importance and contributions of agricultural sector development and funding to employment generation in the country, especially the willingness of the youth to participate and practice agriculture as substitute to the scarce white collar jobs for source of livelihood. Apparently from this study, the youth are willing to participate and practice agriculture to earn a living if government provides enabling environment by making funds available, review of the land tenure system, provision of infrastructural facilities and rural development. It also shows that youth will find agriculture attractive if government partners with private sector in the establishment of modern agriculture villages, providing modern agricultural tools coupled with modern agricultural practice training and skills acquisition to bridge the gap caused by the outdated curriculum of our tertiary institutions. This paper recommends among others public-private collaboration to fund and develop the agricultural sector and establishment of modern agricultural villages. It also recommends that government should incorporate in any existing youth development programmes a six months/a year modern agricultural practice, training for interested youth or newly establishment of such training programme