Indigenous farmers’ and non-farmers’ perceptions on schooling and human-capital development in Agro-based rural communities in Southern Benue, Nigeria.
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Date
2015
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University of Silesia in Katowice (Poland), Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica (Slovak Republic) and University of Ostrava (Czech Republic
Abstract
The presented study examined the impacts of schooling and human capi-tal-development on agro-based rural communities in Southern Benue, Nigeria, from the perspectives of farmers and non-farmers. This study made use of the descriptive survey method. 1150 farmers and non-farmers were sampled using a multi-stage sampling technique. A researcher-designed questionnaire, interview schedule and observation technique were used for data collection. Mean rating and chi-square were used for data analysis. The results showed that schooling and human capital development (SHCD) had disorientated agro-based work-force in rural communities of Southern Benue, which was ranked 1st with a mean score of 29.6 and the diversion of community resources towards schooling and human capital development (SHCD) instead of farm-ing in rural communities of Southern Benue was ranked 2ⁿd with a mean of 28.8. Also, insignificant difference was found in the perspectives of farmers and non-farmers concerning the impacts of schooling and human-capital development on agro-based rural communities of Southern Benue, Nigeria. It was, therefore, concluded that schooling and human-capital development have created economic and social challenges, not development in the agro-based rural communities of Southern Benue, Nigeria. It is recommended that there is a need for the Government’s strong commitment to addressing the paradox created by schooling in the human input used for sustaining productivity in the agro-based rural communities of Southern Benue, Nigeria.
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Keywords
schooling and human-capital development (SHCD), agro-based communities, farmers, non-farmers