Dept of Economics

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Browsing Dept of Economics by Subject "Employment"

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    Employment and Agricultural Performance in Nigeria
    (Lead City University, Ibadan, 2024-12) Onuh Markson ONDAH
    Employment in the agricultural sector holds immense significance for Nigeria, as the agricultural sector is a vital component of the country's economy. This study examined the effect of employment on agricultural sector performance in Nigeria, while unbundling agricultural performance into agricultural output and agricultural exports. The study also analysed the response of agricultural output and exports to employment shocks in Nigeria. The study employed secondary data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria and World Development Indicators spanning from 1991 to 2022. The ARDL and VAR Impulse Response and Variance Decomposition analyses were utilized in estimating the objectives of the study. Results show that employment has a positive and statistically significant effect on agricultural output in both the short and long run. Conversely, employment has a negative and significant relationship with agricultural exports in both the short and long run. For the response of agricultural output and exports to shocks in employment, variance decomposition analysis revealed that employment's contribution to the variance in agricultural output increases gradually over time, indicating that labor has a growing, albeit moderate, impact on agricultural output growth. Similarly, the impulse response analysis showed that an increase in employment has a positive but short-lived impact on agricultural output. Variance decomposition also reported that agricultural exports in Nigeria is largely self-driven, as indicated by the high proportion of variance explained by its own shocks, with a very marginal contribution by employment shocks. The study recommends that policymakers focus on creating more employment opportunities in the agricultural sector. This involves investing in agricultural training programs, providing incentives for agricultural entrepreneurship, and improving access to agricultural inputs and technologies. Keywords: Agricultural Output, Agricultural Exports, Economic Growth, Employment, Shocks Word count: 279