Articles · Vol. 46 No. 4 (2021): Africa Development

Youth Employment and Large-scale Agricultural Land Investments in Africa: Mixed-Method Insights from Nigeria

Alhassan Karakara, Uchenna Efobi, Ibukun Beecroft, Felicia Olokoyo & Evans Osabuohien

Vol. 46 · 2021 No. 4 Africa Development AD

Abstract

This study examines the linkage between youth employment and large-scale agricultural land
investment (LALI) in Africa with a focus on Nigeria. There is no consistent direction regarding the
effects of LALIs on employment in the literature. While some studies found a positive effect,
others opine that LALIs could have a deteriorating effect. This study contributes to the discourse
by carrying out a comparative analysis of youth (un)employment in communities with and without LALIs. A mixed methods analysis is engaged in the study. The quantitative data is estimated using the difference-in-difference and propensity score matching techniques, while the qualitative aspect is carried out using key informant interviews and focus group discussion. The quantitative result shows that the presence of LALIs in the communities leads to a 1.24 percentage reduction in the amount of wage earned by the youth, but was only significant at 10 per cent. On the employment of youth conditioned upon the presence of LALIs in a community, the study finds a reduction in the number of hours worked by six hours, which was also only significant at 10 per cent. From the qualitative analysis, the study finds varied wage levels across the sample. These findings raise concerns regarding the type of employment provided by LALIs. Hence, to curb youth unemployment and create decent jobs, LALI recipient countries could promote bette bargaining power for the host communities to negotiate better employment.

Keywords

agriculture land investments employment households Nigeria youth University of Cape Coast

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Author Biography

  • Evans Osabuohien

    Professor Evans S. Osabuohien is the Immediate Past Head of Department-HOD (Economics & Development Studies, Covenant University, Nigeria). He was appointed HOD in 2016, emerging as the Youngest HOD in the University. He holds B.Sc, M.Sc and Ph.D (Economics) and started lecturing and researching in 2004. He received Double Promotion to the Rank of a Full Professor of Economics in December 2017, which made him the Youngest Professor in the University. In May 2020, he was recognised as ‘One of the 6 Youngest Professors in Nigeria’. He is the Pioneer Chair at the Centre for Economic Policy and Development Research (CEPDeR) and the Pioneer Chair for the Regional Centre of Expertise, Ogun State (RCE Ogun). He is an Alexander von Humboldt Visiting Professor, Faculty of Management & Economics, Witten/Herdecke University, Germany. He was a research fellow at German Development Institute, Bonn with a fellowship from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (October 2013 –December 2014).He held the same fellowship at German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Hamburg (January –September 2013). His other international awards: Swedish Institute’s Guest Doctoral Fellowship (as guest Ph.D Candidate at Lund University 2009/2010); Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA)’s grant for Ph.D Thesis in 2009; First Prize for FLACSO-WTO Chair Award in 2012. He coordinates the collaboration between Covenant University, Nigeria and German Development Institute, Bonn as well as the cooperation between Covenant University, Nigeria and United Nations Conference on Trade & Development Virtual Institute (UNCTAD Vi), Geneva. He has executed externally funded research projects for international organisations such as: UNCTAD Vi; The Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR); African Economic Research Consortium (AERC); Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS); Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa (TRAPCA), African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF); among others. He has research interest in Institutional, International, Land/Agricultural, and Development Economics where he has published 4 books and over 160 scholarly articles and presented research findings in international conferences/workshops across the world. He serves as reviewer to many international journals including: World Development; African Development Review; Land Use Policy; South African Journal of Economics; Journal of Environmental Policy and planning; Contemporary Social Science; Journal of Environmental Planning and Management; Research in Economics; Journal of Land Use Science; among others. He is a member of learned societies, namely: Royal Economic Society; Nigerian Economic Society; African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA); African Growth and Development Policy Modelling Consortium (AGRODEP); CODESRIA; AERC; Young African Researchers in Agriculture Network (YARA); UNCTAD Vi; African Political Economy Association; and African-German Network of Excellence in Science (AGNES). Besides his academic prowess, he plays an active role as a practitioner. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Covenant Microfinance Bank Ltd (since 2018); Board of Directors, Canadian Centre for Raw Materials Display Inc (CaCeRMDI), Ontario, Canada (since 2021); and Chairman, DEPECOS & Sons Company Ltd (since 2016).

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