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UNEMPLOYMENT Unemployment is one of our worlds major problems and is also the source of many problems in countries around the world as a jobless person is a potential or actual robber, rapist, kidnapper and even a suicide bomber. In Nigeria unemployment has led to some aberration in our society as we have begun to experience a rise in crime rate, corruption, terrorism, etc. From the MEND militants to the boko haram sect, the list of past and present happenings are numerous but the future possibilities are endless. With over ten million beggars on the streets of Nigeria, only about 24% of employable Nigerians unemployed (Business Day Newspapers, 2011); and the findings of the national bureau of statistics In January 2012 that 112 million Nigerians (61%) live on less than a dollar per day (BBC, 2012), the fund for peace (FFP) has recently ranked Nigeria as the 14 th most failed nation on earth. (FFP, Failed State Index, 2012).

CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT Unemployment results from several factors such as bad leadership, corruption, urban migration, etc. These factors have greatly contributed to the growth of unemployment in Nigeria and some other third world countries. It also largely results from the rate of youths trying to acquire knowledge in tertiary institutions thereby leading to huge competition in the labor market; Referring to the careless, but well meaning statement of the previous Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, that over 75% of the Nigerian graduates are unemployable, it is worth asking if it is the fault of the Nigerian youth. They generally show a high willingness to get educated, but are being shortchanged with an education which does not prepare them for the harsh realities of the labor market. A labor market which is capable of absorbing less than 10% of them and leaving the rest to do anything positive or negative with their situations.

SOLUTION A direct approach to ameliorating the problem of unemployment is job creation but this solution is a lot more achievable when there are numerous entrepreneurs thereby supporting the notion that youths should aspire to become entrepreneurs rather than job seekers. There are several high yielding sectors in the Nigerian economy such as IT, education, banking, oil & gas etc. But one of the most favorable, least damaging to our environment but highly neglected sector in Nigeria is the agricultural because we have failed to maximize its income generating capacity, Agricultural produce such as cocoa, coffee, rubber etc. are in high demand in many world class companies and organizations who cannot grow these crops locally due to climatic factors. If an individual or a group of people were to farm these cash crops on a commercial scale it would boost the Nigerian economy, create jobs and would be very profitable. For the Nation to be among the 20 most economically advanced nations in the world by the year 2020, serious attention must be paid to the development of agriculture. Agriculture and their Entrepreneurs need all the support they can muster from all stakeholders in order to create the opportunities for jobs for our teeming jobless population.

AGRICULTURE IN AFRICA AGRICULTURE HAS TO BE AFRICA’S NEXT PRIORITY

NIGERIA’S RICHEST SECTOR There are many profitable sectors in Nigeria and one of its most neglected sector is agriculture. Nigeria is very rich agriculturally as our climate and environment supports the growth of several cash crops with very low cost with substantial labor, this venture is highly profitable as many crops like cocoa and coffee are major demands of big companies like nestle, Cadbury etc. Several companies like Nigerian Institute For Oil Research (NIFOR), Okomu, PRESCO are agriculture based companies that employ hundreds of workers as a result of its success in both oil, rubber and certain other agricultural produce. The adoption of commercial agriculture would not only be profiting but also it will boost the economy, create jobs for many and is relatively easy to start.

COCOA FARMING Cocoa is essential to the livelihoods of million people worldwide, including over 5 million smallholder cocoa farmers who grow this valuable crop. It has been an important ingredient in global cultures and history, evolving over the years, and continues to be enjoyed today in thousands of different forms. Africa’s total % of cocoa production has been rated at around 73% with 4 major producing countries; Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria. Cocoa today is in high demand by companies like nestle, cadbury, etc. Cocoa processing includes converting the beans into nibs, cocoa “liquor”, butter, cake and powder. Cocoa butter is used in combination with other ingredients to make chocolate. It can also be used in soaps and cosmetics. Cocoa powder is used for making chocolate flavored products such as cakes, cookies, and drinking chocolate. The cocoa, chocolate, and confectionery industry employs hundreds of thousands of people around the world and is a key consumer of other agricultural commodities such as sugar, dairy products, nuts, and fruits.

COFFEE FARMING As one of the most important commodities in terms of value traded globally, coffee plays a crucial role in the livelihoods of millions of rural households across the developing world. Coffee contributes significantly to foreign exchange earnings and plays a leading role in determining opportunities for employment and infrastructure development in more than 50 developing countries. Coffee in many developing countries is a sector of critical importance to sustainable development at local regional and global levels. Coffee is a beverage consumed all over the world by people from all walks of life thereby having a large consumer base. African countries have the greatest potential to cultivate the best brands of coffee as Africa plays host to some of coffee’s most enjoyed brands as stated by Hans Faessler of NKG Tropical Farm Management GmbH in Switzerland, ”Africa is the country of origin of the Arabica and Robusta brands. Even if coffee cultivation itself started relatively late in Africa, the conditions for high quality coffee are excellent. If you look at the cultivation areas in Tanzania, Kenya or Ethiopia, for instance, you will find some of the best coffees in the world there. Nevertheless, production volumes are very low, for instance, in comparison with Brazil. There is further potential in the sector of small farmers, in the Estates, also called farms. The main thing lacking there is knowledge so that we have a low level of farm maintenance. Another thing we often witness are motivation problems on the part of the farmers as crop yields are usually very low. Nevertheless, production volumes are very low, for instance, in comparison with Brazil. There is further potential in the sector of small farmers, in the Estates, also called farms. The main thing lacking there is knowledge so that we have a low level of farm maintenance. Another thing we often witness are motivation problems on the part of the farmers as crop yields are usually very low.” Top quality coffees from Africa have a big potential. Proper commitment to this continent includes support for research and development which provides highest product quality.

RUBBER RUBBER West Africa, like East Asia, has a highly suitable climate for rubber cultivation and a large pool of agricultural workers – which Asia no longer has in abundance. Global output of natural rubber is expected to top 6% in the current year, but it is not expected to keep up with demand. A slowdown in Asian production growth has refocused attention on West Africa as a source of supply. Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire are both potentially important producers, but today account for around only 2%-4% of global output (Hardman & Co., 2012). Rubber like many other cash crops is a globally utilized raw material used in the manufacturing of many rubber based products like plastic chairs, gloves, rubber bands, condoms etc. Rubber is a high yielding branch of agriculture as there is always demand for rubber by rubber based industries. But being a seasonal crop it takes around 7 years for an investor to start making profit from his/her produce but this venture is highly lucrative.

PLANNED RESULTS AND OUTCOMES This methods aims at showing youths that a job is not the only way to make a living, there are numerous ways of self empowerment and these are just few of them, but most importantly this method attempts to show that success are not only found in luxurious places like the IT sector or oil & gas industries but rather we can create success from the most neglected and undermined sectors. My team will spend a maximum of 24 hours implementing this solution by hosting webinars on the internet aimed at the Nigerian youths and also we will set up web site dedicated to entertaining inquiries into these ventures and enlightening Nigerian youths on the different cash crops in agriculture with presentation of results from extensive and intensive research and my team will also show the profitable industries connected to these crops and the various industries involved in their processing. My team aims to reach a vast majority of the Nigerian labor market both employed and unemployed through social networks, ad campaigns, blogs and video blogs on our website. We aim to engage a group of four people; a web designer, researcher, blogger and a public relations person for publicizing our cause.