ASSESSMENT OF AGRIBUSINESS ENTREPRENEURIAL INTEREST AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN SELECTED UNIVERSITIES IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study assessed entrepreneurship interest of undergraduates in agribusiness in selected Universities in Osun State, Nigeria. It specifically described the personal and socio-economic characteristics of the students; identified their agribusiness of interests; determined their level of interest and identified the constraints limiting their entrepreneurial interest in agribusiness. A two-stage sampling procedure was used to select 120 respondents for the study. A pre-tested structured interview scheduled was used to collect the data. The data were analyzed with frequency counts, percentages, means and standard deviation while Chi square analysis was used to draw inferences. The results revealed that the mean age of respondents was 23.8 years, most of the respondents (56.8%) were male, and 56.7% had no previous experience in entrepreneurial activities. Above half (56.8%) showed entrepreneurial interest in agribusiness activities and such activities of interest include livestock production (25%), marketing/value addition (19.1%) and arable crop production (15%). The major constraints exhibited by the students towards agribusiness ventures include inconsistent government policies towards agribusiness (mean=4.8), inadequate infrastructural and processing/storage facilities (mean=4.6) and inadequate funds (mean=4.6) Also, sex (X²=34.5), entrepreneurial experience (X²=34.5) and parents' entrepreneurial background (X²=34.5), had a significant association with students' entrepreneurial interest in agribusiness. The study concludes that the undergraduates had interest in agribusiness. To sustain their interest, entrepreneurial education should be included in the university curriculum while policies capable of promoting enabling environment should be enacted.