REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN NIGERIA THROUGH AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN NIGERIA THROUGH AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT (A CASE STUDY OF FADAMA III IN AKWA IBOM STATE)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the Study

In the colonial Nigeria agriculture occupies a centre stage in economic activities. At independence in the decade of 1960s, the sector continued to enjoy this status and was seen as the objective of the first development plan (1962-1968) showed.

Therefore the contribution of the agriculture sector to gross Demotic produce (GOP) during this decade ranges from 56% 6122%, 66.77% to 63.4%  from 1960-1967 (Ayade 1998:1230. However, the contribution drastically declined in the 1970 because of the oil boom and the neghegeuce of agricultural sector.

This resulted in rural-urban migration shortage of agricultural man-power and stagnation of the sector. The oil money provided the needed finance for post- war reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation. Hence government was not interested in the contribution of agriculture to GOP. Effort of the three regions (construction, rehabilitation and reconciliation) were concentrated mostly on the urban centre leaving the rural areas without facilities. Modern agricultural production require basic facilities like good road network, electricity, good portable water, lele communication system, schools and hospital.

Apparently, agricultural activities take place in the rural area, not urban centre where there facilities are concentrated.

Rodern (2011:23) in his presentation of Balance Growth Theory argues “there is minimum level of resources that must be devoted to agricultural development Programme for it to have any canes of success”

However, when government fails to provide the necessary facilities that enhance the growth of this sector, it resulted to urban shift, stagnation of the sector and huge import bills.

This is because agriculture as a professional could not offer the teaming population what Maslow (1954)

Refer as to self-esteem and real actualization which were imaginary on real as other sector in the urban centre.

In attempt to address unemployment problem, the Federal government of Nigeria from 1976 onward have remarked on a lot of policies and programs to step-up agricultural.

Obbugo, (1998:95) records some of the major pone as operation feed the Nation (OFN), Agricultural Development Authority (ADA) River Basin Development Authority (RBDA) The Green Revolution (GR) The Directorate of food , Road and Rural Infrastructures (DEFFI) The Acceleration Food Production Programme (NAFPP), Research institution National Directorate for Employment (NDE), National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) Provision of inputs like fertilizer, insecticide etcetera at subsidizes rate.

The agricultural sector poor to the creating of state was