




































American International Journal of Agricultural Studies  

Vol. 5, No. 1; 2021 

ISSN 2641-4155   E-ISSN 2641-418X 

Published by American Center of Science and Education, USA 

 

 22  

ENHANCEMENT OF YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN 

AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION ADVISORY SERVICES 

THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING: A SOLUTION TO 

UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA 

 
 

Sharon Damilola Samuel 

Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension 

Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria 

E-mail: Sharon.samuel@fuoye.edu.ng 

 

 

Received: July 31, 2021      Accepted: August 29, 2021     Online Published: September 15, 2021  

 

DOI: 10.46545/aijas.v5i1.201                                   URL: https://doi.org/10.46545/aijas.v5i1.201 

 

 

ABSTRACT 

The unemployment rate in Nigeria and other Sub Saharan African countries keep surging year 

after year despite the need for human resources in several sectors. Nigeria records a large 

number of young graduates from tertiary institutions most of whom find it difficult to get white 

collar jobs. Despite this ongoing, human resource which is needed for economic development 

remains under exploited. Young people have a sense of responsibility which makes it easy for 

them to take up opportunities that will lead to individual and societal development. Unemployed 

youths who have interest in agriculture and the extension system can be recruited into this sector 

to achieve sustainable agricultural and rural development in these areas. Capacity development 

is essential in this scenario to absorb these group of people into the agricultural sector, thus, 

reducing employment rate. Unqualified young persons can carry out the functions or duties of 

agricultural extension advisory services if their technical and knowledge skills in line with the 

subject matter is developed.  

 

Keywords: Youth, Unemployment, Agriculture, Extension Advisory Services, Capacity 

Development. 

 

INTRODUCTION 

Youth unemployment is a serious economic challenge (Ogundele & Akingbade, Akinlabi, 2012; 

Akande, 2014; Chidiebere et al., 2014; Muogbo & John-Akamelu, 2018, 2021) and its consistent 

high rates over the last two to three decades has indicated the need for urgent policy programme-

level interventions (Adeyanju et al., 2021). There have been endless calls on youths by the 

Government requesting they venture into agriculture as a means of livelihood. Regardless of this 

great potential for youths, access to land, finance, education and adequate skills are few of the 

problems halting initiation of this step. One of the initiatives taken by the Federal Government of 

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Nigeria to curb youth unemployment and its accordant undesirable outcomes is the inclusion of 

entrepreneurship studies in the curriculum of tertiary institutions (Olorundare & Kayode, 2014; 

Ogunmodede et al., 2020) a strategy which aims to promote a shift from the conventional formal 

government provision of employment towards entrepreneurship (Adeyanju et al., 2021). One of 

many innovations by the Federal Government is the introduction of YouWin in 2013. The aim of 

this innovation is to curb the effect of youth unemployment by creating job opportunities for the 

unemployed youths. Additionally, climate change, rural to urban migration trends and increasing 

population pressures on land will make agriculture even more challenging in the future (Djamen, 

2019).  

Furthermore, in addition to Government interventions and innovations to curb 

unemployment and its effects on the society, creating opportunities for youths in agricultural 

extension and advisory services (EAS) through capacity development will bring sustainable 

solution to youth unemployment. Djamen (2019) reiterated that agricultural extension and 

advisory services offer a sustainable opportunities for youths to serve as both recipients and 

providers of these services. Youths can be trained as community extension workers who will 

always be responsible for providing solutions to agricultural challenges in their immediate 

environment. This can be achieved by adopting the “training the trainer” approach of extension 

training whereby extension knowledge and ideas are introduced to interested, passionate and 

committed youth in order to bring about desirable change in their livelihoods and immediate 

environment. Training youths to do the job of agricultural extension advisory services will lead 

to independence of rural farm communities and expertise of youths over time. 

Unemployed youths are potential change agents. Graduates and non-literates have 

capacity to be developed in knowledge and technical skills. In order to cope with declining per 

capital of agriculture and related resources as well as population growth of youths; human capital 

development including literacy and skill upgrade is unavoidable. Despite the vast area of land 

available for agricultural activities in Nigeria, most of the GDP is generated from crude oil 

export. Most youths today take up different kind of jobs just to earn a living. The nature of 

subsistence agriculture mostly carried out by rural farmers limit the wealth that can be generated 

from this under-exploited sector. It is also projected that crude oil will become non-existent for 

exploitation and export in the nearest future. This calls for an attention shift from crude oil and 

other natural resources to agriculture. Therefore, the generation and diffusion of technology and 

management capabilities for more intensive and modernized agriculture and supporting services 

become imperative. This can only be achieved by upgrading the quality of human resources 

employed in agriculture (Chikaire et al., 2015). Therefore, the purpose of this review is to 

incorporate youths in agricultural extension advisory services so as to stimulate their interest to 

participate in agriculture. This way, sustainable rural development is achieved and 

unemployment rate is reduced. Secondary data collected from journals, internet and books, were 

collated and repeatedly reviewed for the purpose of this study. Data is often generated as a result 

of conducting projects in the form of reports or publications and used by researchers and 

extension workers in government and NGO organisations (Photakoun, 2010).  

 

BACKGROUND 

Young people in Africa are faced with a major socioeconomic problem of unemployment 

(Ogunmodede et al., 2020), despite being home to the youngest and most quickly growing 

population in the world (Usman, 2016). There are over 330 million people aged between 15 and 

30 years, with about 195 million currently living in the rural areas (Brooks et al., 2013), and 



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60%–70% of the population below 30 years (UNDP, 2017). According to the United Nations, the 

youth are individuals within the age group of 15 to 24 years (Awogbenle & Iwuamadi, 2010). In 

sub Saharan Africa the rate of youth unemployment is a major problem yet to be overcome 

(World Bank, 2020). Dimelu et al. (2020) observed that as the youth population grows, so does 

the unemployment rate. The unemployment rate of adults in developing countries is less when 

compared to that of youth (ILO, 2020). Nevertheless, they have unexploited potentials to 

transform the agricultural sector through their youthfulness, innovation, and entrepreneurship 

(Betcherman & Khan, 2015). 

Nigeria is largely a youthful country with over 60 percent of the 200 million population 

between 18 and 35 years old (Ogunmodede et al., 2020). National Bureau of Statistics for 

Nigeria, (2018), put unemployment rate at 23.10% in third quarter of 2018, with youth 

unemployment at 36.5%. It is somewhat difficult to absorb the youth population into the formal 

employment sector (Abimbola, 2008; Bakare, 2011; ILO, 2020), not because they lack 

education/skills to work or idleness by choice but by lack of opportunities (Institute of 

Development Studies, 2019). While this could be an economic asset (Omoju & Abraham, 2014), 

majority of people (70 percent) in this age category live in the rural areas, where they are faced 

with high poverty levels, food insecurity, critical cases of unemployment, and underemployment 

(FAO, 2107). These constant occurrence have placed young people at the centre of a critical 

economic crisis which limits them in changing their social and economic status as well as their 

future prospect (Allen et al., 2016). 

 

MEANING OF CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE NEED FOR YOUTH 

CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT 
Capacity development refers to the skills of staff and strength of specific organizations; thus, 

training staff and creating or strengthening single organizations is equated with capacity 

development (Chikaire et al., 2015). Capacity development means strengthening of new and 

former skills of individuals, communities and organizations, some of which are inherent and 

unknown to the carrier. Exposing and strengthening such skills will increase the likelihood of a 

person or organization to achieve their goals/objectives and to perform more effectively. 

UNESCO, (2006) reports that capacity building focuses on increasing an individual and 

organization’s abilities to perform core functions, solve problems, and objectively deal with 

developmental needs.  

Despite the fast growing rate of civilization, many countries and communities remain 

poor and underdeveloped.  Many rural communities remain dependent on private donors and 

government sectors for support. Sadly, most development projects have little to do with building 

or developing capacities of the poor beneficiaries to develop their immediate communities. 

Young people have the ability to contribute to national economic growth if they have access to 

the necessary opportunities. Developing the capacity building of individuals, groups, 

organizations and communities is sacrosanct for rural development and poverty alleviation. 

Dependence on donors alone cannot yield the desired result of sustainable development. 

Therefore, investment and donation to rural communities need to be reduced and more focus 

placed on building the capacity of local people, groups and organizations. Building the capacity 

of youths is the role that all organisations should consider. An attempt to employ younger people 

in extension advisory services who have the strength and energy instead of older people who 

lack drive will propel fast and lasting solution to unemployment. 

 



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THE NEED FOR YOUTH CAPACITY BUILDING IN THE FIELD OF 

AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION 

Rural youth need to be considered as potential agricultural extension staff because they have the 

ability and need to resolve problems and develop their communities. However, the ability to 

function as an agricultural extension advisory service provider depends on existing knowledge 

and experience of extension work which an average youth may lack, thus, the need for capacity 

building in the field of extension. Building the capacity of youths to serve as rural extension staff 

is vital to making extension services effective in helping poor farmers. Public and private 

agricultural extension are responsible for this development task. They instil change in farmers’ 

attitude such as their learning and decision making process. Younger people have a sense of 

responsibility and passion for solving problems and correcting all wrongs in their communities. 

Extension specialists should leverage on these strength to assist them to develop their capacity to 

stand as extension agents when the need arises. This approach should be extended to passionate 

and committed young graduates of agricultural extension and related courses. Although diffusion 

of information about a new innovation is important in extension, people prefer to be equipped 

and independent enough to provide solution to their issues. 

Basically, agricultural extension help farmers solve agricultural problems by linking 

farmers to research institutes. Further, extension is concerned with developing capacity for 

change through improved communication and information flow between industry, agency and 

community stakeholders, (Chikaire et al., 2015). In agriculture, extension staff work closely with 

farmers in the fields to strengthen farmers’ abilities and empower them to solve their problems. 

The extension workers are not just meant to introduce relevant technologies to farmers but to 

understand farmers’ problems and available opportunities to help them find the most efficient 

way to make decisions for their future and lasting solutions to their problems. Dwarakinath 

(2006) explained that extension is a major vehicle for rural development because it transfers new 

technical knowledge to farmers and then farmers can feedback problems from the field to 

extension staff and researchers to consider. There is a need for a capacity building role for 

extension that includes farmer training but that also includes strengthening the innovation 

process and building linkages between farmers and other agencies to support the bargaining 

position of farmers (Sulaiman & Hall, 2006).  

For effective training of youth participants/clientele, the change agent must possess 

sufficient skills in the following areas: 

 Communication skills sufficient to persuade participants to adopt technologies.  

 Ability to demonstrate new technologies as farmers are moved to change based on what 

they see 

 Sufficient knowledge of economics to analyse cost-benefit ratios, interest, understand 

prevailing market situations etc. 

 Norms, values and customs of the host community to facilitate a smooth learning 

experience and avoid socio-cultural conflict. 

 Credible and relevant knowledge of the subject matter. 

 Proper decision making regarding the choice of extension teaching methods relevant to 

the audience and subject matter, as well as available communication aids. 

 

 

 

 



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PROCESS OF YOUTH CAPACITY BUILDING 

To conduct capacity building and training some few steps need to be taken as described below: 

 Application: Adverts need to be placed at target local governments and communities. 

Requirements for eligibility should be centred on age of which should be between 16-39 

years with at least secondary school leaving certificate.  

 Recruitment: After application both written tests and oral interviews should be conducted 

to select eligible candidates who are passionate about agricultural extension. 

 Residency: At this stage, provision of accommodation should be ensured for all admitted 

participants and trainees. Both parties will need to reside on the farm for the duration of 

the training. Also, recreation facilities should be provided for leisure and to make the 

experience less monotonous. 

 Election of officials: Participants will need to conduct elections within themselves to 

appoint their officials or leaders to fill in posts of president, secretary general, welfare 

secretary and any other needed positions. This process will be supervised by the 

facilitators. 

 Training: The duration of training of youths for capacity development as extension 

workers will take as long as necessary for the goal to be met. Subject matter should be 

formulated in ways that will bring about desired change of the trainees and community at 

large. The best teaching method should be selected based on prevailing factors. Most 

importantly, constant evaluation should be carried out to ensure youth participating are 

still motivated and passionate enough to continue with the programme. 

 

LEVELS OF CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT, METHODS/RESOURCES AND 

OUTCOMES 

Table 1. Types and levels of capacity development. Adapted from Enemark (2003); VicHealth 

(n.d); Phatokoun (2010) 

 

Level  Methods and Resources  Outcomes  

Individual  Formal workshops, educational 

training, personal skills and 

qualified staff.  

Changed awareness and perceptions, 

increased motivation, increased solidarity, 

cohesion and beliefs.  

Community  Function, infrastructure and 

resources (human, financial and 

information).  

Demands of material, cultural or social 

nature,  

Organisation  Mission and strategy, function, 

competencies, processes, 

structure, infrastructure and 

resources (human, financial and 

information).  

Ability to collaborate, Ability to manage 

change, Innovation and learning.  

Systems  Policies legal/regulatory 

framework, management and 

accountability, perspective and 

resources.  

Ability to collaborate, Ability to manage 

change, Innovation and learning.  

 

 

 



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CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT METHODS AND TOOLS USED FOR STAFF 

INVOLVED IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND EXTENSION 

Table 2. Methods and tools used for capacity development in rural extension. Adapted from 

Crowder (1996); Stephen et al., (2006); Phatokoun, (2006). 

 

Methods  Tools  

Mentoring/coaching  Meeting and field visits.  

Training programs  On-the-job training, in-service-training, in-site-training.  

Cross visits/Study tours  Local, regional, national and international, with individuals, 

groups, teams.  

Workshops 

/Meetings/Conferences  

Group discussion, presentation of results, sharing ideas and 

exchanging experiences.  

Networking  E-mails, telephone and face to face.  

Participatory approach  Participatory research and extension.  

Partnerships  Exchanging of know-how between stakeholders, NGOs, private 

and government sectors.  

Research  Demonstration plots, experiential learning, Village Learning 

Activities.  

Equipment, infrastructure, 

connectivity, 

benchmarking and new 

technologies  

Computers, using Internet, telephone/mobile phone.  

Publications  Journals, newsletters, fact sheets, online publications, 

pamphlet/leaflets, books and manuals.  

Monitoring/evaluation  Middle and the end of the project: own work and partners‟ 

activities.  

 

CONCLUSION 

Rural extension and advisory services refer to various actions and actors that provide the 

information, services as well capacity development (management, organizational and technical) 

needed by farmers with the aim to their livelihood. Human resource development is essential for 

the development of any economy. In Nigeria and other developing countries, unemployed youths 

with passion and interest in agriculture and extension advisory roles should be absorbed into the 

extension system and trained to develop capacity to discharge the duties of an extension worker. 

Youths in the extension profession will ensure sustainability in the system and reduce overall 

unemployment rate. Cognisance of the processes involved in capacity development, its levels as 

well as methods and tools needed should be taken to achieve a desirable success rate. 

 

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