AGRICULTURAL YOUTH SENSITIVE POLICIES: THE WAY FORWARD IN ENHANCING YOUTHS INCLINATION TOWARDS AGRICULTURE

ABSTRACT Youths constitute a formidable force in the agricultural production process, constituting a sizeable proportion of the workforce especially in the rural areas. While their contribution towards attaining food security cannot be underestimated yet their apparent lukewarm attitude towards agriculture is a source of concern. Majority of agricultural policies and programmes formulated in Nigeria do not consider stirring up the interests of youth, this has also made youths to seek employment in other sectors of the economy in order to empower themselves economically, and leaving the bulk of agricultural practices in the hands of old people. The paper reveals inadequacies in past agricultural policies and highlight ways to stir up the interest of youths in the field. The paper among many other recommendations says that ICT should be promoted among youths to uplift the face of agriculture from playing the second fiddle to other professions.
Keywords: Youth, Agriculture, Policies, Empowerment,Nigeria