ASSESSMENT OF INTENTION OF YOUTH TO ENGAGE IN AGRIBUSINESS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN KANO TERTIARY INSTITUTION

ABSTRACT The study assessed the intention of university students in Kano tertiary institutions to engage in agribusiness as a means of livelihood. Specifically, it examined the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, the level of their intention to engage in agribusiness, factors influencing their intention, and the constraints limiting their participation. A total of 68 students from the Faculty of Agriculture, Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. The findings revealed that the mean age of respondents was 24.66 years, with 88.2% males and 11.8% females. The major sources of family income were farming (32.4%), civil service (33.8%), and trading (27.9%). Only 29.4% of respondents indicated interest in pursuing agribusiness after graduation, although 61.8% were already involved in agribusiness activities. Regression analysis showed that socio-economic and institutional factors such as family background, access to finance, and agricultural education had no significant effect on students’ intention to engage in agribusiness with a Nagelkerke R ² value of 0.076. The major constraint identified was lack of capital (76.5%), followed by insufficient knowledge (10.3%) and poor market access (4.4%). The study concludes that while students show some participation in agribusiness, their long-term intention to pursue it as a livelihood remains low. It recommends that government and educational institutions should enhance access to finance, provide practical agribusiness training, and develop supportive policies to encourage youth participation in agribusiness for sustainable economic growth and food security in Nigeria.