AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AS PREDICTORS FOR SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT CREATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined agricultural development as predictors for sustainable employment creation in Nigeria spanning between 1990 and 2021. Secondary method of data collection and econometrics techniques were used. Ex-post facto research design was adopted. The estimation technique of the study made used of econometric procedure. OLS and co-integration analysis were employed in obtaining the numerical estimates of the coefficient of the model formulated above with application of E-views software statistical package. Statistical and econometric tools are used as evaluation techniques, these include: standard error, t-test, R-square, F-test and Durbin Watson statistics. Co-integration was used for testing the existence of a long run relationship among variables. The findings of the study revealed that if all things being equal, agricultural development and government expenditure on agricultural development might serve as predictors for solving the challenges of sustainable employment creation in Nigeria. It was also indicated that agricultural development and government expenditure on agricultural development positively influence sustainable employment creation in Nigeria. The findings further showed that there was significant long run relationship between agricultural development, government expenditure on agricultural development and sustainable employment creation in Nigeria. It was recommended that government at all level in Nigeria (federal, state and local governments) should increases expenditure on the agricultural sector. The government should remove every constraint to agricultural policy effectiveness, such as policy instability, policy inconsistencies, narrow-based policy formulation, poor policy implementation and weak institutional framework for policy coordination.