IFAD RESEARCH SERIES 53 Youth Access to Land, Migration and Employment Opportunities: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa Papers of the 2019 Rural Development Report

Abstract

We are also grateful to Aslihan Arslan and David Tschirley for their valuable comments on earlier iterations of this paper. We further would like to acknowledge the research support from Kibrom Abay. The authors bear full responsibility for the contents and interpretation of the findings reported herein. This background paper was prepared for the Rural Development Report 2019 "Creating Opportunities for Rural Youth". Its publication in its original draft form is intended to stimulate broader discussion around the topics treated in the report itself. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and should not be attributed to IFAD, its Member States or their representatives to its Executive Board. IFAD does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. For further information, please contact ruraldevelopmenreport@ifad.org. IFAD would like to acknowledge the generous financial support provided by the Governments of Italy and Germany for the development of the background papers of the 2019 Rural Development Report.

Rural Transformation and Labor Market Outcomes among Rural Youths in Nigeria

“…The results indicate that educated youths are more likely to engage in off-farm employment compared to those with little or no form of education over time. This result is consistent with the findings of [37], and [38] which found that the length of formal education is positively associated with participation in off-farm employment positions. In assessing the pattern of youth employment in Namibia, the Namibia Statistics Agency [39] revealed that having high school education or higher, being married, or being between the ages of 30 and 34 increases the probability of youth employment.…”

“…The result indicates that highly educated youths are more likely to depend on blue collared jobs rather than engage in self-employment. Yeboah, Jayne, Muyanga and Chamberlin [38], explained that increased educational attainment enhances the prospects of youths to secure off-farm employment opportunities and raises their career aspirations beyond agriculture; as farming is associated with lower social status, young people are socialized to have career aspirations beyond farming. These result leads us to accept the hypothesis that demand pull factors, such as being highly educated and skilled, allows youths to engage in well paying off-farm jobs compared to those that are less educated.…”

Agriculture and youth in Nigeria: Aspirations, challenges, constraints, and resilience

“…The share of engagement in farming has been particularly declining in the age range of 25-34 years across the region, including Nigeria. However, unlike several other African countries, the share of rural males and particularly of rural females in the off-farm agricultural sector, such as agri-food processing, is relatively high, and the share of urban employment in the agri-food sector is also considerable (Yeboah et al 2019). Young people in Nigeria, especially in rural areas, struggle to find decent employment, partially owing to the country's economic situation, and partially because of challenges faced specifically by youth that prevent them from thriving in agriculture and other sectors.…”

Stemming rural-urban migration through agricultural development: Can Nigeria apply the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic?

“…Fifth, access to land (widely recognized as an important factor of production) and subsequent security of tenure are fundamental for young Nigerians in rural areas to engage in farming and will significantly shape their livelihood options (Yeboah et al, 2019). The disparities in access to land have significant consequences for youth's employment and migration options in many rural societies, as young people's migration decisions are also influenced by the potential of inheriting land (Kosec et al, 2017;Ghebru et al, 2018).…”

“…As a result, in agricultural and rural development, property rights, tenure security, and land markets are crucial (Singirankabo and Ertsen, 2020). Tenure security encourages investment and increases land production, resulting in higher rural incomes and can facilitate the re-integration of returnees and prevent disputes over resources (Yeboah et al, 2019).…”