Promising Self-Reliance through Entrepreneurship-Oriented Agricultural Education
*1Lasisi Modinat Iyadunni & 2Adeigbe Fatimat Olanrewaju
1&2Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Tai Solarin Federal University of Education. Email: dunnikoya.lasisi@gmail.com
Abstract
Unemployment and poverty remain among the most pressing socioeconomic challenges confronting Nigeria, with millions of graduates annually entering a labour market incapable of absorbing them. A defining feature of this crisis is the pervasive overdependence on white-collar employment, a pattern deeply reinforced by an educational system that has historically failed to cultivate practical skills or entrepreneurial orientation. This position paper argues that agricultural education must be deliberately and comprehensively reoriented toward entrepreneurship in order to promote genuine self-reliance among graduates. The paper contends that the prevailing structure of agricultural education in Nigeria remains predominantly theoretical, insufficiently practical, and largely divorced from the realities of agribusiness and enterprise development. Grounded in Human Capital Theory and Experiential Learning Theory, the paper asserts that purposeful education combining technical agricultural training with entrepreneurship principles can significantly increase graduate productivity and economic independence. Drawing on a wide body of peer-reviewed literature, government policy documents, and reports from international organisations, the paper reviews existing knowledge on agricultural education, entrepreneurship education, self-reliance, and agribusiness development, identifies critical and persistent gaps in educational practice and policy, and offers targeted recommendations for reform. The ultimate position is that entrepreneurship-oriented agricultural education is not merely desirable but absolutely essential for sustainable national development, rural transformation, and the economic emancipation of Nigerian youth.
Keywords: Agricultural Education, Entrepreneurship, Self-Reliance, Agribusiness, Unemployment, Nigeria
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