Agricultural Entrepreneurship and Economic Development in Northern Adamawa, Nigeria.

Abstract:

This study assessed Agricultural Entrepreneurship and Economic Development in Northern Adamawa, Nigeria. The bedrock of the study was the overdependence on oil revenue by the government, making the State Government to pay little attention to agricultural entrepreneurships. The inadequate attention given to Agricultural entrepreneurship has negative effect on agro-based industries which adversely affects economic development. Data were collected from 400 respondents across Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha Local Government Areas using both closed and open ended questionnaire. The analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics and multiple regression. Likert scale technique was used a measurement instrument for the study, while Cronbach alpha test was used to measure the reliability of the instrument, which showed a result of 76.5% reliability. The result of the study shows that Agricultural entrepreneurship is at low ebb due to the fact that most of the citizens of Northern Adamawa are into subsistence agriculture instead of agricultural entrepreneurship. However, a 1% increase in farm level production (FLP), lead to increase in economic development by 0.645, while 1% increase in agricultural service provision (ASP) lead to increase in economic development by 0.643. Findings of the study therefore shows that agricultural entrepreneurships, such as farm level production, and Agricultural service provision have positive effect on economic development in Northern Adamawa at 5% level of significance. The study therefore, recommend that while encouraging people of Northern Adamawa to engage in Agriculture as a business, for economic development, government needs to encourage more farmers by provision of loans, arable lands and subsidized Agricultural service such as transportation, storage facilities and Agricultural education. This is to enable the subsistence farmers to partake in commercial Agriculture.