ABSTRACT

This study analyzed participation of graduate beneficiaries in N - power agripreneurship social development programme in Abia State, Nigeria. Specifically it described the socio-economic characteristics of respondents, assessed respondents’ motives for enrolling in the programme, assessed perceptions of respondents about the programme activities, ascertained the levels of participation of respondents in agripreneurship programme activities, ascertained extent of outcomes derived by respondents participating in agripreneurship programme activities and examined constraints to participation of respondents in the programme activities in the study area.Multi-stage random sampling procedure was used in the selection of eighty (80)graduate beneficiaries that participated in N-power agripreneurship social development programme. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics such as; frequency counts, percentages and mean scores and inferential statistics (multiple regression analysis).Results of socio-economic characteristics of respondents showed that most (67.50%) of the respondents were males, with mean ages of 31 years, while most (66.25%) were single, with mean household size of 4 persons as against 23.75% that obtained MSc/BSc in different disciplines while, 33.50% graduated  in agricultural sciences. The result also showed that the participants had high ( =2.7) motives for enrollment in the programme, had favourable perception ( =3.1) and high participation ( =2.3) and outcomes ( =3.3) from the agripreneurship programme activities. Multiple regression resultsshowed that coefficients for gender (-2.60**), age (-3.01***), number of trainings (2.57**), incentive received (2.91***) and stipend paid (3.94***)influenced graduate beneficiaries in N-power agripreneurship programme activities whereas, coefficients for psychological development (3.81***), mastery of skills (-3.99***),positive identity (2.63**), civic participation (-2.68**) and understanding needs/wants (2.73**) influenced participation outcomes derived by respondents from agripreneurship activities of social development programme. Participation of graduate beneficiaries were seriously constrained by low self-interest, shortage of training materials, bureaucratic and administrative bottlenecks and delayed stipend payments.The study therefore recommended that government should encourage and strengthen the capability of graduates, proper funding, prompt payment of monthly stipends and focus on ways to attract and encourage young graduates who are agile and strong to participate in the agripreneurship N-power programmes.