Career Opportunities and Job Prospects for Agricultural Economics and Extension Graduates in Nigeria
Benedict Emmanuel Mitchel
Career Opportunities and
Job Prospects for
Agricultural Economics
and Extension Graduates
in Nigeria
Agricultural economics-
is an applied field of economics concerned with
the application of economic theory in
optimizing the production and distribution of
food and fibre—a discipline known as
agricultural economics. Agricultural economics
was a branch of economics that specifically
dealt with land usage. It focused on
maximizing the crop yield while maintaining a
good soil ecosystem.
Economics has been defined as the study of
resource allocation under scarcity. Agricultural
economics, or the application of economic
methods to optimizing the decisions made by
agricultural producers, grew to prominence
around the turn of the 20th century. The field
of agricultural economics can be traced out to
works on land economics. Henry Charles
Taylor was the greatest contributor with the
establishment of the Department of Agricultural
Economics at Wisconsin in 1909.
Agricultural extension
is the application of scientific research and
new knowledge to agricultural practices
through farmer education. The field of
'extension' now encompasses a wider range of
communication and learning activities
organized for rural people by educators from
different disciplines,
including agriculture, agricultural
marketing, health, and business studies.
Purpose of Agricultural extension:
• Increasing the efficiency in
agricultural production
Increasing the efficiency in
marketing, distribution and utilization
of agricultural inputs and outputs.
• Conservation, development and use
of natural resources.
• Proper management on the farm
and at home.
• Better family living.
• Youth development
• Leadership development.
• Community development.
• Improving Public affairs for all
round development.
Scope of Agricultural Economics and
Extension:
• Throughout the 20th century the discipline
expanded and the current scope of the
discipline is much
broader. Agricultural economics today includes
a variety of applied areas, having considerable
overlap with conventional
economics. Agricultural economists have made
substantial contributions to research in
economics, econometrics, development
economics, and environmental economics.
• Agricultural economics influences food
policy, agricultural policy, and environmental
policy.
Extension practitioners can be found
throughout the world, usually working for
government agencies. They are represented by
several professional organizations, networks
and extension journals.
• Agricultural extension agencies in developing
countries receive large amounts of support
from international development organizations
such as the World Bank and the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
• Agricultural extension work has a venerable,
albeit largely unrecorded, history. It is a
significant social innovation, an important
force in agricultural change, which has been
created and recreated, adapted and developed
over the centuries. Its evolution extends over
nearly four thousand years, although its
modem forms are largely a product of the past
two centuries. Today, the organizations and
personnel engaged in agricultural extension
encompass a diverse range of socially
sanctioned and legitimate activities which seek
to enlarge and improve the abilities of farm
people to adopt more appropriate and often
new practices and to adjust to changing
conditions and societal needs.
Skills and Competencies needed to be
successful in Agricultural Economics and
Extension:
• Technical skills
• Interpersonal qualities
• General work experience
• Good communication skills
• IT skills
• Research skills
• Quantitative skills
• Management skills
• Teamwork
• Ability to plan
• Numeracy skills
• Good initiative skills
Career Opportunities and Job Prospects in
Agricultural Economics and Extension:
• Livestock Agent
• Crops Agent
• Extension Specialist
• Teacher
• Researcher
• Development Officer
• Extension Agent
• Extension Officer
• Secondary School Teacher
Admission Requirements for the study of
Agricultural Economics and Extension:
The O'level subject combination and
requirements needed to study Agricultural
Economics and Extension;
You require; Five SSCE credit passes in English
Language, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology/
Agricultural Science and one of Geography,
Physics and Economics.
In UTME, please note that English Language is
Compulsory for this course. Therefore, the
three (3) other JAMB UTME subject
combination needed to study Agricultural
Economics and Extension under the Faculty of
Agriculture in the above Universities include;
Chemistry, Biology/ Agricultural Science plus
Mathematics or PhysicUyo
Wow!
ReplyDeleteThis is helpful!