10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

Youth employment remains a major socio-economic challenge in North Central Nigeria despite the employment opportunities available in agriculture. However, youth participation in agricultural activities is constrained by inadequate access to credit facilities, limited modern farming technologies, insecurity in rural communities, and preference for white-collar jobs. This study assessed youths’ willingness to participate in agricultural activities and its effects on unemployment reduction in North Central, Nigeria. The study was guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Human Capital Theory (HCT). A multistage sampling technique was used to select 387 respondents, while primary data were collected through the use of a structured questionnaire. Data were analyse using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as Probit regression and T-test analysis. The results revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 27.9 years, 53.2% were male, 53.5% were married, and 45.5% possessed tertiary education qualifications. About 70% of the respondents had access to land, with an average farm size of 1.3 hectares, while 68.7% lacked access to credit facilities and 62.8% were not members of cooperative societies. High participation was recorded among crop producers, livestock producers, transporters, and processors. Probit regression analysis showed that age, gender, years of schooling, employment status, type of agricultural activity, reasons for participation, and farming type significantly influence the youths’ willingness to participate in agriculture. Findings further revealed that youth participation in agriculture significantly improved standard of living, agricultural skills acquisition, income generation, job creation, livelihood diversification, and reduction in rural-urban migration at p≤0.01. The study concluded that agricultural participation is a viable strategy for reducing youth unemployment and improving livelihoods in North Central Nigeria. It recommended improved incentives, agribusiness support programmes, access to modern farming technologies, and strengthened rural security to enhance youth participation in agriculture and reduce unemployment in the country.