Determinants of Youth Participation in Agricultural Activities in Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria

This study assessed the determinants of youth participation in agricultural activities in Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select 100 respondents from farming communities within the area council. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. The findings revealed that the majority of youth respondents were male (64%), single (58%), with a mean age of 26.4 years, mean household size of 4.2 persons, and mean farming experience of 4.8 years. Educational attainment was relatively high, with 47% having secondary education, while mean annual income was ?156,000. Only 38% had contact with extension services, and 52% belonged to youth agricultural groups. The level of youth participation in agricultural activities was moderate, with crop farming (72%) and vegetable production (61%) being the most widely practiced enterprises. The logistic regression results revealed that age (p = 0.031), educational level (p = 0.004), annual income (p = 0.028), extension contact (p = 0.007), and membership in agricultural groups (p = 0.041) were significant predictors of youth participation in agriculture. Major constraints identified included lack of access to land (mean = 4.52), high cost of inputs (mean = 4.39), inadequate capital (mean = 4.35), poor access to credit facilities (mean = 4.21), and weak extension services (mean = 4.08). The study concludes that youth agricultural participation in Gwagwalada is shaped by socio-economic and institutional factors. Improving access to land, credit, and extension services, alongside deliberate youth-focused agricultural policies, are recommended to enhance youth engagement in the agricultural sector.