Social Media, Youths and Agricultural Development in the Niger Delta

Social media, Youths and Agricultural Development 27

Social media, Youths and Agricultural Development in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria Guanah, Seigha Jammy Obi, Ijeoma, Egbra, Omedomero Stella & Akumabor, Ngozi Theodora

Abstract The entrance of the social media to the communication world has eased and increased interaction among people, and this is influencing the way agricultutre is practised worldwide. Agriculture is core in the economic growth of any nation because of the inevitability of its potentials while the youths are the efficient workforce of every nation. This study, therefore, highlighted the advantages of agriculture, and emphasised that the social media, as important new tools for agriculture, are the most effective means to engage the youth in agricultural pursuits. The study was carried out through analytical approach. It is anchored on the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. It recommended, among others, that youth agriculturalists in Nigeria must tap the benefits of the social media in order to change the face of agricultural practice in the country, and avoid being left out of global trends; that youths should constantly use the social media to collect ideas and share knowledge on various farming technique globally, and reach out for opinions; agriculture should be made more attractive by establishing “farm villages” with basic amenities where youths can reside and concentrate on agriculture; that long term low- interest loans be given to youths who embrace agriculture as a profession, and that government must put in place training programs, awareness campaigns, and workshops to help youths understand how to use social media better in their agricultural activities. The paper concluded that the Nigerian youths are the pillars required for agricultural development in Nigeria. Keywords: Agriculture, Facebook, Mass media, Social media, Twitter, Youths.

Introduction Nigeria`s over-dependence on oil revenue has had a lot of negative effects on the agricultural sector, which had been a key source of revenue before independence. Nigeria`s foreign earning is not only dwindling, there is food shortage in the country and a lot of persons, especially the youths are jobless. The only way out of Nigeria’s economic challenges which have regularly impacted on the lives of the citizens and activities in all facets of life is for Nigeria’s economy to be diversified to agriculture. A former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has said that Nigeria cannot make it until the nation takes agriculture and its value chains seriously. He said that agriculture had the capacity to develop entrepreneurs and create millions of employment for Nigerian youths. Awoyinfa (2017) quotes Obasanjo as saying, “the truth is this, if we are going to have employment for millions of youths in this country, it will be mainly in agriculture business not in oil and energy.”

International Journal of Communication: an Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication Studies, 22, September, 2017. Published by the Communication Studies Forum, Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

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The youths can be the main drivers of agricultural development if they are given all the support they would need because they are technologically savvy and better positioned to do so, especially through the social media. President Muhammadu Buhari recognises the fact that the youths are the catalysts for Nigeria`s growth when he said that Nigeria has always been identified as a country with great potentials for growth, especially with our youthful population, but now we are moving beyond the potentials to reality (Taiwo-Obalonye, 2016). Hence, the President of Nigeria`s Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, suggested that fruitful engagement of the teeming youths in the country will increase the nation’s productive capacity and at the same time, negotiating an end to the present economic recession. Stargist (2016, p.1) quotes Saraki as saying that, “the country urgently needs to unleash the energy and creative capacity of the youth to ensure that we produce goods and services for local consumption and exports.” The youth, for statistical purposes, is defined by United Nations (UN) as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years, without prejudice to other definitions by member states. This definition was made during preparations for the International Youth Year 1985, and endorsed by the General Assembly (A/36/215 and resolution 36/28, 1981). All United Nations statistics on youths are based on this definition, as illustrated by the annual yearbooks of statistics published by the United Nations system on demography, education, employment and health (UNESCO, 1985). However, the definition of youth does vary from country to country, depending on the specific socio-cultural, institutional, economic and political factors, hence the Nigerian National Youth Policy (2009) defines a youth as a person between the ages of 18 years and 35 years. Youths are up to 17.6 percent of the global population. According to United Nations-UN- (2013) reports, developing countries account for majority; 87% of the youth worldwide live in dev eloping countries, and 62% of this number lives in Asia. Premium Times (2016) cites Reuters and News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as crediting the United Nations (UN) to have estimated that the number of youths globally will rise to 2 billion by 2060 from 1.8 billion in 2015, with most of that growth expected to in sub-Saharan Africa. As at today 63% of Nigeria`s population is under the age of 25 (Kawu, 2014); although, according to the UN, more than 70 per cent of Nigerian population are under 35years (Ibekwe, 2016). This accentuates the reason the youths who are regarded as leaders of tomorrow need to be allowed to take responsibility in all ramifications, especially in the championing of agricultural development in Nigeria. Agriculture is important to the economic development of any nation because of the numerous advantages that come with its development, apart from the fact that it provides food security for a nation like Nigeria (Nwabueze, 2007). When there is food self-sufficiency the nation will be able to feed its citizens, and billions of dollars spent on importing food can now be channelled to other productive areas. Agriculture provides employment for a lot of people. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS), between May 2015, when President Muhammadu Buhari took office, and August 30, 2016 the total freshly unemployed persons in Nigeria`s economy rose to a record high of 4,580,602 (Awala, 2016). Agriculture likewise provides raw materials for industries which results into industrial development; foreign exchange earnings for the nation from plantation crops, such as cocoa, coffee, rubber, cashew and other

Social media, Youths and Agricultural Development 29 crops; and markets for products of the industrial sector such as fertilizers, farm inputs, storage facilities and many others. The Niger Delta Region of Nigeria is an area to focus on because the indigenes are not benefitting directly from the oil being prospected in their region. The Niger-Delta region concerned in this work is the area limited by the tributaries of river Niger. The area is bounded in the north by Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Kogi and Ekiti states, with the Atlantic coast forming the general boundary in the south. The Niger Delta comprises about 1,600 communities in nine states, namely, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers, with more than 20 million people. The Niger Delta is a geographical area measuring about 70,000 square kilometers; it lies in the southern-most part of Nigeria, stretching from the Nigeria-Cameroun boundary in the east to the Ondo-Ogun states boundary in the west Ekpo (2004). The region is well endowed with abundant agricultural resources that includes crops (arable, vegetable, ornamentals and tree crops); fishery (fin & shell fish in fresh, brackish & salt water); forestry resources (Mangrove Swamp Forest, Timber and Wild life), and rich mineral deposits and human resources. If the youths of this region are given the wherewithal needed they can contribute immensely to the growth of agriculture. However, for the nation as a whole to enjoy the benefits of agriculture the youths have to be effectively mobilized through communication which “is an important resource to any social organization…” (Oso, 2002, p.198); for getting relevant information or messages to farmers will not only create awareness but also foster in them the right kind of attitude change through knowledge acquisition (Gans, 2003). And communication with and among youths can be enhanced through the social media. However the apparatus and styles of communication keep changing, hence Odili (2013, p.161) declares that, “This generational dynamism in communication tools and system has resulted in outstanding evolution of a collaborative, participatory, democratic user generated- content pattern of communication”. The social media are also changing the way people get to know about agriculture and forms opinions about participation in agriculture and food production. The social media remain as useful tools in the hands of youths in promoting successful agricultural activities in any part of the world. Statement of the problem Youth unemployment in Nigeria is very high, and there is hunger in the land, especially in the Niger Delta region. This is causing most of the youths to be restive, and this can lead to possible youth explosion out of restiveness and anger. But youths can be profitably engaged in sustainable activities along the agriculture value chain by training and employing them. Training can be done via the Social media because they can make it possible for Agriculture trainers, no matter where they are located, to reach the trainees through various social media platforms. With the social media the youth can be fully engaged in Agriculture in the Niger Delta Objectives of the study i. To highlight the advantages of Agriculture. ii. To identity the role of the social media in enhancing communication with the youth

Social media, Youths and Agricultural Development 30 iii. To emphasise that the social media, as important new tools for agriculture, are the most effective means to engage the youth in agricultural pursuits

Theoretical Framework This study is hinged on the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. According to Wogu (2008), this theory was postulated by Everett Rogers in 1962. Rogers is said to have combined the information flow research findings with the flow of information and personalized influence in fields like anthropology, Sociology and rural agricultural extension work. It was Rogers` concern to explicate the process of information and development that resulted into this theory. It became one of the most influential modernization theories (Srampickal, 2007). The theory was an advancement of the two-step flow theory put forward by Paul Lazarsfeld. Baran and Davis (2009) note that Rogers’s effort at integrating information-flow research with diffusion theory was so successful that Information-flow theory became known as Information Diffusion Theory, and “when it is applied to the diffusion of something other than information, that is, technologies, it is called Innovation Diffusion Theory” (p. 271). Diffusion is the spread and adaptation of an innovation or new idea by the members of a social system. Ali and Miraz (2015, p.2) cite Roger as saying that “diffusion is the process of how the news and uptake of innovation is communicated through social contacts and networks with respect to time.” Rogers acknowledged the innovations, communication channels, time and the social system or context as the four elements of diffusion. This indicates that an innovation can only make impact after it has been communicated to the people it is meant for over a period of time. Everett Roger, having reviewed over 500 empirical studies in the 1960s, posited that information move through five stages before an individual adopts an innovation, and before it has its full impact on the expected audience. The stages are: the mass media (for awareness); early adopters (first users); opinion leaders (gleaning from early adopters); opinion followers (being influenced by friends); and laggards (late users) which can be summarized as awareness, knowledge and interest, decision trial, and adoption/rejection. Respondents were divided in different groups according to their propensity to incorporate innovations and timing in actually adopting them. The role of the mass media is concentrated on the first stage of the process (awareness stage), whereas personal sources are most important in the adoption process (Anaeto, Onabanjo and Osifeso, 2008, p. 178). This is to say that the mass media and interpersonal contacts (opinion leaders) provide information that has the ability to influence opinion and judgment of people. Baran and Davis (2000) summarize the five stages through which new innovations will pass through before being widely adopted by the target social group: At the first stage most people will become aware of the innovation, often through information from the mass media. At the second stage the innovation will be adopted by a small group of early adopters. At the third stage opinion leaders learn from the early adopters and try the innovations themselves. At the fourth stage, the opinion leaders having found the innovation useful, encourage their friends. At the fifth and final stage, after most people have adopted the innovation, a group of laggards or late adopters make the change (pp. 161-162).

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However, McQuail (2010) spelt out Everett Rogers’s Information/Innovation Diffusion Theory to be through four stages which are: “information, persuasion, decision or adoption, and confirmation” (p. 488). The point to note is that both agree in the fundamental principle- the limited role of the media and the place of intervening agents in the communication chain. This theory asserts that the media do not wield enormous power as to influence the audience directly, but only serve to create awareness in the communication process. Agba and Ogri (2016) believe that Diffusion of Innovation theory centers on the conditions which can increase or decrease the likelihood that a new idea, practice, policy, product or object will be adopted by members of a given social groups. According to Baran and Davis (2000, p. 161), “diffusions theory explains how innovations are introduced and adopted by various communities.” It is another way to look at how people process and accept information (Lattimore et al, 2009, p.49). This theory is germane to this study because with the entrance of the social media the youths can easily learn how to use and adopt any agricultural innovation that is introduced. To encourage the youths to embrace the call to participate in agriculture because of its attendant benefits government must outline what the youths stand to gain. The youths have to be persuaded before they can accept to take part. The social media can be used to create awareness and influence or change the youth’s behavior or attitude; and subsequently, the adoption of the innovation. Since the youths are involved the social media would be the most effective media to use.

Empirical Studies In a survey carried out by JCB Workwear, Telegraph.co.uk (2011) reports that farmers are using social media sites to promote their business and boost profits. The survey revealed that increasing numbers of media-savvy farmers across the United Kingdom are using Twitter and Facebook to get advice, share ideas and keep up-to-date with developments. Over 53 per cent of the farmers interviewed said they used social media, the main reasons being to communicate with customers and to raise issues relating to farming. Howard Topham, managing director of JCB Workwear, said: ''the results show that many farmers see social media as a way of promoting their business and products and staying ahead of the competition.” Suchiradipta and Saravanan (2016) Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) global survey on the use of social media in agricultural extension and advisory services conducted online across 60 countries and 226 respondents provided interesting results. Face book was found to be the most popular social media platform used by AEAS actors. The major activity on social media was searching for news and events and sharing information. A major impeding factor for social media use was the lack of authenticity of information shared online. Social construction of information (development and publication of information socially by the users) was considered as the most important feature of social media (95 %). Ninety five percent of the respondents believed social media can play an important role in bridging the gap between stakeholders in Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS). Overall, the survey found that social media is a very useful tool in agricultural extension and rural advisory services. One of the respondents interviewed said, ‟SM is not only a tool for reaching large audiences; it is also an opportunity to develop relationships.” International Journal of Communication: an Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication Studies, 22, September, 2017. Published by the Communication Studies Forum, Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

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The survey found that on an organizational level, social media is still not given much importance by higher authority and social media policy restricts rather than encourages its use. Also, weak or non-existent connectivity in rural areas, high cost of data charges, illiteracy of the clients and low participation and lack of interest of clients are reported to be major problems. Youths and communication Revolution Communication is defined by the trio of Hovland, Janis, and Kelly (in Semiu, 2010) as the process by which an individual (the communicator) transmits stimuli (usually verbal) to modify the behaviour of other individuals (the audience).Today, communication is more computer-generated and easily achieved than it used to be. The social media are the most effective media to reach to reach a mass audience, especially youths, that are heterogeneous, spread all over, and located in different places at the same time. The social media are interactive technologies that allow individuals to view, create and share information, ideas, career interest, and other forms of expression. Suchiradipta and Saravanan (2016) describe the social media as potential goldmine that can be used to engage with clients online, to help rural community gain a voice, make development bottom-up, more fruitful innovation brokering, and engaging with all the actors in agricultural innovation systems on the same social media platform. According to Imoh (2007), for the past 50 years, development planners have used communication to support and promote agricultural development policies and programmes in a wide range settings and conditions with relative success. Imoh (2007) cites Smith (1985) as saying that this is possible by using ideas drawn from instructional media, social marketing and behavioral psychology; planners have used system approach to communication which revolves around three elements, to wit, farmers orientation, targeted change, and on integrated media network of television, radio, print and other traditional and inter personal channels. The youth, before now, tend to be vulnerable because they had little or virtually no prior experience they could relate with or compare with what they saw or heard daily in the conventional media. They also, absolutely, had no choice about, or opportunity to choose what they could see or hear. But today, because of the vast array of media available, youths make more choices about what they will attend to based on their backgrounds, interests, peer influences, and a number of other factors. There are now many media sources available to them. Today’s youths have greater access to more forms of communication than ever before. Robert (2000) reports that in addition to the traditional television, music, magazines, and movies, new kinds of media such as interactive CD- ROMs, video games, E-mail, chat rooms, and Web sites are now available. Others are Facebook, 2go, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Wikipedia, YouTube, and Evernote etc. They provide everything from the latest scientific discoveries to surrogate friendships, virtual sex, and violence to the youth. Roe (2000) and Valkenburg (2000) brought to the fore the fact that the issue of media influence on youths is a global phenomenon hence the need to study the similarities and differences between the American media system and others. No wonder Newman (1997, p.5) laments that the youth of this generation want truth. They have been lied to so often- so much is fake. They are searching for identity, meaning in life, support and direction.

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Digital (new) media and online communication have become the main channels of communication youths now engage in. According to Robert`s (2000) recent survey, 8 to 18-year- olds spend 6–8 hours daily exposed to some form of media. They visit social network sites, video- sharing sites, and get involved in online games and gadgets such as iPods. The truth is that the new media, especially mobile phones, are now fixtures of youth culture. This is an opportunity government can capitalise and leverage on to reach youths who are very active on these communication platforms with agricultural development programmes and information that can enlighten them on the trend in agriculture, thereby ensuring agricultural education and mass mobilisation that can lead to agricultural development. Youths and their Potentials Nigeria is a nation of great human and material resources, especially the youths who are the engine room of any nation that must succeed in all ramifications. It is the recognition of the importance of the youths that made the Nigerian government to announce in New York on September 16, 2016 during the 71th United Nations General Assembly that it would push for the creation of an agency to cater for the peculiar needs of youths in the world. Speaking during a press briefing at the UN secretariat in New York, Nigeria`s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said the country will push for the establishment of the organisation to provide more opportunities for youths and help counter their indoctrination by fundamental organisations. Onyeama said the creation of such organisation will be particularly beneficial to the teeming Nigerian youths (Ibekwe, 2016). No wonder then that the Lebanese- American painter, writer, poet and philosopher Kahlil Gibran once said that "The true wealth of a nation lies neither in its gold nor silver, but in its learning, its wisdom, and in the uprightness of its youth" (Ajulo, 2015). The fact remains that one of the greatest challenges Nigeria is facing today is how to create jobs for its teeming youths. The high rate of unemployment in Nigerian is making many youths to take to crime and vices while many of them fall victims of fake recruitment advertisements and job scams. The economy of Nigeria can improve, the standard of living of its citizens can be enhanced, and employment created for its swarming youths if agriculture can be focused on as the engine for growth and development. There is no doubt that the youths are not only energetic, but they are full of ideas, this can be confirmed from the exploits they are making in different fields of endeavour today. Therefore, tapping into the potentials of the youths will bring about acceleration in whatever they are involved in. The youths should be made to realise that if the same resources and efforts they put into unprofitable ventures are channeled into positive activity like agriculture, they will make a huge success of their lives. Matthew Hobson, a World Bank Expert on Social Protection, said that the global growth and poverty reduction over the next 20 years will be driven by today’s young people, yet many of them struggle to find productive employment (Premium Times, 2016). According to the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Kunle Obayan, the rate of unemployment in the country is high because youths are scared of squaring up to the challenges of self-employment (Naijaloaded, 2016a).

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The Need to add value to Agriculture Nigeria has 84 million hectares of cultivable land, out of which only 32 million have been cultivated. Nigeria has surface water measuring 279 billion cubic metres and underground water of 57.9 cubic metres enough to feed humanity with fishes and oysters and all manner of sea food. Yet, the same Nigeria spends about $4.6 billion per annum on importation of food stuff (Ugbechie, 2016). This must stop. With the seriousness on the part of government, if the youths are effectively mobilised to participate in agriculture these natural endowments can be of tremendous blessings to the nation. Agriculture is a business one do not need any academic qualification to participate in; its significance in the development of the economy of a nation cannot be overstressed. Albeit there is geometric increase in non-farm economic activities, yet agriculture remains central in securing livelihoods (Ajakaiye, in Peter, 2004). In Nigeria, the agricultural sector has suffered from institutional neglect due to the concentration on crude oil as Nigeria`s economic mainstay, and its dominance as a major contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation’s economy (Anam, 2011). With agriculture one can become the Chief Executive Officer of his/her agricultural business the same day it starts. This is made possible because God has endowed Nigeria with different types of agricultural products that gives everybody the opportunity to choose which one(s) to farm. For instance, Cassava is in abundance in the southern parts and middle belt of Nigeria. It is rich in Carbohydrates, Starch, Protein, Fats, Ash, Fibre. It is a good source of industrial raw materials for various industries such as Food and Beverages, Bakeries and Confectionaries, Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics, Textiles Paper, Wood and Wood products, utilizing it primary and constitutive properties and forms as starch, sweeteners, Ethanol, Adhesives, Animal Feed etcetera. The national president of Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA), Segun Adewumi said that Nigeria can benefit a lot if the nation beams its light on cassava cultivation and processing. According to Adewumi, cassava can generate over N20 trillion for the country, annually if adequately utilised. According to Naij.com (2016) Adewumi said that cassava, which is one of the most reliable cash crops in the world, could also be used to trigger industrial revolution and solve Nigeria’s economic problems. Adewumi lamented that the country spends over N600 billion yearly to import ethanol and starch which are cassava derivatives that could be processed and sourced locally. According to him, cassava has over 20 food types and three major industrial products like ethanol, starch and cassava flour which are raw materials for other products. Rice is one of the most important food crops in the world. It is the main staple food for 2.89billion people in Asia, 40 million people in Africa and 1.3million people in the United States of America. Indeed, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) estimated that in 1996, 5.8 billion people consumed rice in 176 countries in the world. As a major food crop, rice is consumed in all parts of Nigeria. According to NTHOA (2007), the demand for rice in Nigeria has undergone phenomenal increase with a per capita consumption of 3.0kg in the 1960s rising to 22.0kg in 1998/99. The FAO estimated that in 2002, the total national demand for rice in Nigeria achieved the 5million metric tons (mt) mark while national production was only 3 million mt... This left a deficit of 2 million mt. In order to bridge the gap between demand and supply, Nigeria

Social media, Youths and Agricultural Development 35 has had to resort to the importation of rice. For example, records released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) show that in 1999, rice import bill was US$259million (N22.015billion at US$1=N85) while in 2001 and 2002 the import bills on rice went up to US$655million [N78.6billion at US$1=N120]and US$756million [N96.12billion at US$1=N127]respectively. Rice can be grown in almost all parts of Nigeria, but predominantly in the Northern region. Nigeria can capitalize on the volume of consumption of rice to engage the youths in massive rice production. Other agricultural areas youths can be engaged in for additional income includes Bee Keeping (Apiculture); Poultry production for the production of eggs and table birds using deep litter and battery cage systems as well as the production of livestock fees; and snail farming. Snail farming can help the country earn more foreign exchange; it could also create job opportunities for the youths. Snail farming is becoming more popular, and as such, needed more government support. Snail consumption is increasing globally, and more needed to be done to increase production. It is easy to rear, for instance the West African Giant Snails could be reared in cages, pens and open areas. The establishment of schemes like Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), Improved Agronomics Practice farms (Benue State), Integrated Produce City (Edo State) Agro business centres (Ondo State), Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme-YAGEP (Delta State) by various government are commendable; but beyond these, for agricultural development to become a reality, Government must do everything to encourage the youths so that they can take up farming as a business. This can be achieved by giving the youths matching grants and by establishing well-equipped “farm villages” that boast of well-constructed roads, cleared farmlands and by providing tractors, farming implements and inputs for the youths. In these villages the youths should be taught how and when to cultivate their farms; how to use improved seeds; when and how to apply fertiliser; when and how to harvest. They should be trained on technology improvements in land preparation, seeding rates, staking technology, seed treatment and pest control. They should be able to access quality inputs and information that can connect them with banks where they could obtain loans and will also connect them with markets where they can sell their yields at higher profits. There should be a conducive, legal, economic and socio-political environment for youths to engage in agricultural activities, this will give them a livelihood, stimulate domestic production of agricultural products, provide employment for more youths, boost the nation`s economy, reduce hunger and poverty, and also earn the country a lot of foreign exchange and curb capital flight which we have been experiencing because we export raw materials (like cocoa) which are processed into chocolate, and oranges and mangoes which are processed into juice and imported back to Nigeria at very exorbitant prices. To encourage the youths to go into agriculture therefore, government must provide the enabling environment for them to succeed. It will not be too much if government provide lands for the youths to boost mechanised farming, procure machinery for land clearing, fertilizers, pesticides, and train some as farm extension instructors, provide improved cultivars; provide equipment such as tractors and other relevant farm implements; acquisition/distribution of improved high yielding varieties of selected cash crops to the youths, as well as grouping the youths into co-operative societies so as to get loans from banks like Agricultural Development Bank.

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To enjoy the economic output of our agricultural development efforts we need to add value to our agricultural products by building agro-allied industries that can employ more youths in the value chain. Kolawole (2016) is of the opinion that when agro-industries are established there will be massive job opportunities, and the industries will pay company tax, its employees will pay PAYE and the consumers will pay VAT. Through these government will boost its revenue, and the producers of the by-products for these industries offer a different business altogether that employs workers and pays all kinds of taxes too. The products of the agro- industries can even be exported and earn forex. Kolawole (2016) adds that the agro-industry will yield far more output, and more economic value, and our agricultural output can be far better in quantity and quality than it currently obtains. With numerous agro-allied factories, and Nigeria`s huge population the economy can improve. To add value to our agricultural sector we need basic infrastructure to inspire an agro-based industrial explosion. We need good roads, good rail lines, electricity, security, funding, better technology, storage, conditioning, packaging and transportation. Nigeria can make a lot of money in the export business if only it can scale up the production of agricultural exports. The export business is a $1 trillion market traded annually. According to Segun Awolowo, Nigeria Export Promotion Corporation boss, Nigeria is number one in the world in the production of yam, cassava, sheanut, melon seeds, kola nut, cocoyam, sorghum; on Okra it is number two; on cashew nuts with shell, it is number two, doing 836,500 metric tonnes; on palm kernel it is number three; in cocoa, number four in the world now; on Groundnuts, it is number four; palm oil, number five; plantain, number six; sesame seeds, number seven; pineapple at one million, four hundred and twenty metric tons; chile pepper, it is number eight; mango, it is number ten. The challenge really is to add value to many of these products (Adigun, 2016). Nigeria’s farmers are estimated to make about N12 billion from exporting vegetables and this is projected to rise to N40 billion by 2018 if government at various levels give farmers the right incentives. According to Agbota (2016a), an official data in 2013 put the country’s exports at $46.32 billion, of which $3.83 billion came from vegetables and fruits to Europe and America. Nwamu (2016) is of the opinion that those who add value to farm produce reap far greater profits than actual farmers, and that the fruit- processing industries alone can employ 2 million Nigerians. Across Nigeria abound fruits like ba nanas, mangoes, oranges, tomatoes, sour shops, pears, udala (locally called “apple”), grapes and h undreds of other fruit and vegetables. Cottage industries that can employ thousands of youths could be established to add value to our agricultural products by processing them. Since our universities are populated by youths, especially the universities of agriculture, they should concentrate on practical training as their area of competence and obey the order given by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, to universities of agriculture that more than 60 per cent of their curriculum should be on practical, 20 per cent on theory and 20 per cent on research. According to Agbota (2016b), Ogbeh said it was time to build the next generation of farmers who will take over the farms and food production; he decried the failure of universities of agriculture to produce graduates that engage in farming as a profession.

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Social media and Agricultural Development The ousted and exiled president of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, started well when he just became President years ago! At that time he threatened to implement draconian measures in order to improve the agricultural output in his country. According to Kwakpovwe (2016), Jammeh promulgated a decree that: Play football during the rainy season and go to jail! He wanted football halted in rural areas during the rainy season when crops needed to be tended. Normally, years ago, it was during the wet months, June-October, that the traditional Nawathane football tournament gripped the entire country. That tournament was eventually “killed” due to love for agriculture. This is an indication that agriculture is important. Howbeit, no matter the importance of agriculture in providing employment and food for the citizenry of any nation, including Nigeria, if the youths are not sufficiently mobolised to participate in the process through the social media the venture is bound to fail, because the social media is a sine qua non in achieving sustainable agricultural development in the contemporary world. The Social media help in disseminating the right information about farming practices on a daily basis. For instance, the Animal Agriculture Alliance states that only 2% of Americans farm today, and the social media are used to create a bridge for this small population to reach a more diverse group of people. In America, social media platforms have allowed the younger generation to showcase what they love about agriculture while also sharing a positive depiction of farm life. Blogs have also contributed to a more positive image of the agriculture community because they have the power to contribute to the public agenda (newmedia.dash, 2015). There are websites that are full of useful tips and information that can benefit youth farmers from Twitter newcomers to blogging veterans looking for new ways to interact with fellow farmers and consumers. As long as there is availability of Internet connection all social media platforms can be easily accessed. Agriculturalists can interact and glean new ideas that will help them improve on their agricultural activities. Via the social media, farmers and agribusiness men/women in different parts of the world are connected in the sharing of agricultural information and information. According to Lathiya, Rathod and Choudhary (2015), knowledge shared can be used and re-used repeatedly by a large number of people at the same time, transformed with new ideas added to it, so that the output is in a stronger form than when it first arrived. Farmers do have platforms for discussion; Baumgarten (2012) reports that AgChat Foundation works to get people talking and building outreach through the weekly #AgChats on Twitter. These chats have seen more than 2,000 participants from seven countries and four continents. #AgChat is moderated by a different agricultural professional each week. When farmers affiliate with this platform, these Twitter chats provide them with great insight into the agricultural industry, and also gives farmers a chance to prove their thought leadership in a public forum. Participating in these chats enable farmers to network within the field and gain respect and recognition from peers. There is increase in the use of social media the world over; according to Hurst (2013), Britons spend an estimated 62 million hours each day on social media, according to a new survey on social media. The survey indicates too that people spend about 34 million hours on Facebook every day with a further 28 million hours on Twitter. In 2013, e-Marketer research found that the International Journal of Communication: an Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication Studies, 22, September, 2017. Published by the Communication Studies Forum, Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Social media, Youths and Agricultural Development 38 average American user spends 23 hours a week emailing, texting, twitting and using the social media and other forms of online communication (Weimann, 2014 p.2). But according to Suchiradipta and Saravanan (2016), as at 2015 platforms like Facebook and Twitter have 1.18 billion and 316 million active monthly users respectively. Facebook has announced that 16 million people in Nigeria visit its website every month with 7.2 million people visiting Facebook daily, 7 million of which are on mobile (Naijaloaded, 2016b). Majority of Facebook users in Nigeria are youths; this is an opportunity to reach them with agricultural information through this medium. Agriculturists can no more rely on face-to-face communication to tell their stories and to improve their trade. This is so because technology has made communication easier whereby farmers now use the social media to interact with other farmers and with their consumers directly. With the social media agriculture’s messages can be intensified hence agricultural industries are enhancing their development within social media and expanding their businesses to reach the general public. Industries achieve this by hiring social media specialist who monitor the social media buzz (newmedia.dash, 2015). Mendoza (2016) asserts that rural agriculture and smallholder farming certainly have no shortage of information to contribute because a core pillar of social networks is the sharing of best practices and practical experience to better inform a community’s decision-making. Mendoza (2016) claims Short Message Service (SMS) communication- text alerts on first generation feature phones- remains one of the most widely adopted methods for agribusiness collaboration. He says interventions typically involve information blasts on anything from weather patterns to fertilizer techniques that allow farmers to more efficiently manage their crops. According to Stanley (2013), the value of social media for the agricultural industry lies in the value of social capital, it brings about a cordial relationship among the farmer, industry and consumer thereby bringing about more transparency, engagement, trust and authenticity in the supply chain. Stanley (2013) identifies four key areas of value of the social media, to wit, networking (Farmer-Farmer) via social media platforms (such as Twitter); Industry Knowledge, Extension & Marketing (Farmer – Agricultural Industry); Consumer Engagement (Farmer/Industry – Consumer), and Crisis communication. Mobilising Nigerian Youths for Agricultural Development Agriculture should be made more fascinating and appealing to the youths who are ready to engage themselves in the sector. This will encourage youths to look in the direction of becoming self- employed and economically fit to accommodate others in their respective businesses instead of being job hunters. This can be achieved if the right information is made available to them through the right channels as it is tenable globally. Hence Adeyanju and Mbibi (2005) declare that the productive level of the Nigerian farmer depends largely on the kinds of information available to him. The most effective media of communication to use in mobilsing the youths for agricultural development is the social media. Social media are online platforms that enable users to interact with one another and share ideas, pictures, feelings, and learn new things such as investment opportunities in agriculture. Social media have six basic characteristics that attract the youths, they are: (i) challenge traditional models, (ii) allow people to communicate uninterrupted, (iii) allow people to collaborate in a virtual community, (iv) give people audience (v) are open and International Journal of Communication: an Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication Studies, 22, September, 2017. Published by the Communication Studies Forum, Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Social media, Youths and Agricultural Development 39 transparent and (vi) uninterrupted feedback mechanism. The Social media refer to a group of internet based applications that build on the ideological and technological formations of web 2.0 and that allow the creation and exchange of user generated content (Kaplan and Heinlein, 2009). Diggan and smith (2013) observe that “approximately 73 per cent of people who are active online use social media to communicate.” The Social media is gaining popularity in the agriculture sector; Suchiradipta and Saravanan (2016) note that professionals are using them to form networks and farmers are taking to social media to talk to peers and consumers. All big things in agriculture – new technology or innovations, seminars and meetings, workshops and trainings, reports, publications – get tweeted or hashtagged. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs are the major platforms for agricultural information dissemination. The uses of socially integrated messaging apps are also increasing in the rural areas. According to Papert (1996) and Tapscott (1998) young people are often associated with social media usage and higher competencies compared to older people. Even when they are sitting before the Television set they still get engrossed fondling with their phones. This is made possible because the mobile phone is handy and available, and possess facilities that enhance easy communication from any location at any time of the day. This aligns with the positions of Hall (1975) and others who say that the most effective communication strategies used in agricultural development are those that utilize human, interpersonal and mass media channels in naturally reinforcing ways. Hence the recommendation of agricultural reporting as a virile tool in the attempt to regain the past glory of Nigeria’s agricultural sector as advocated by Nwabueze (2011) who refers to agricultural reporting as the gathering, processing and presentation of agricultural information to the public through a medium. The social media suffice here, after all Murdoch (2005) has declared that the "dynamic revolution taking place in the news industry today revolves around the fact that 'technology-savvy young people' are becoming increasingly likely to turn to the web as their news medium of choice." The emergence and advancements in digital technologies (Satellite and video phones, the Internet, digital audio recorders and laptop computers and lots more) has greatly affected how agricultural news and information are gathered and disseminated today. Journalists have now acquainted themselves with the modus operandi of most of these technologies, and become multi- skilled journalists that can easily use them in the discharge of their journalistic duties. New technologies enable increased mobility for agricultural reporters, and ensures regular updates that can keep the youths well informed of the happenings in the field of agriculture. According to Nsude (2005), there are numerous services on the Internet that a journalist can utilize in the process of performing his job, especially in reporting agriculture based news, they include the E-mail, Usenet, Internet Relay Chat, Video/ Audio Conference/Skype, and so on. Electronic-mail (E-mail) is a worldwide system for sending and receiving electronic mail. Through this means youths can be reached with agricultural information. They can also find sources and experts in other parts of the country, or even abroad to gather trending agricultural information and check facts. Unlike the regular mail, e-mail often reaches its destination in few minutes, except some parts of the network are heavily congested or temporarily out of order. Specialised agriculture newsletters and newspapers can be distributed through E-mail.

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The Usenet is a service of the Internet which offers access to news groups for group discussions on specific topics. Usenet can afford youths from different parts of the world the opportunity to interact on issues of common interest. Youths can be assisted to locate information on agriculture on the internet through files sharing and topic searching, particularly when one does not know where a subject may be located within the Internet. Just as we locate a phone number by using a telephone directory, a user may find locations of interests on the Internet by first gaining access to what is known as search sites. The user supplies a word or a phrase; with a list of Internet locations where information can be found. The youths can be encouraged to subscribe to discussion lists or "lurk” relevant agriculture news groups. They can also post questions and gather responses. Several discussion lists exist which cater for various professional interests of journalists (agriculture reporters). Some of them help journalists in the use of electronic sources (Matthew, 1998). Another common service of the Internet is the Internet relay chat, which youths can effectively use in agriculture news gathering. Chat allows a group of people using aliases, to send messages to one another immediately. While used by a variety of age groups, it is especially popular among young people. Once connected, the user is brought into contact with a large number of other users from all over the world. A particular theme is featured such as agriculture, science, fiction, movies, sports or romance. All the messages typed within a chat room appear almost simultaneously on the computer screens of all participants for that chat room. A chat room is much like a party of people mingling and talking at the same general time, except that all are typing short messages instead of orally conversing. Useful chats on agriculture can prominently feature here. Deliberate steps have to be taken to make agriculture attractive to the youths The African Executive (2014) reports about Larry Keya`s 3-D Farming that involves transferring best farming practices to smallholder farmers by uploading successful farming ventures into best practice. The course is accessed by 1,000 farmers and there are 3 actual subscriptions in a month. 3-D farming information can be accessed by any farmer anywhere in Africa. Youths are embracing and are being mobilsed into practicing agriculture through it because it is social-media-driven. Also Fatimah Oyiza Ademoh has come up with Youth Agrbiz Training. The message focuses on how youth can earn through agriculture while learning. She is also working with 5 youths directly and over 2,000 youths indirectly through social media, her model can be replicated all over Africa in all forms of agribusiness. The social media can effectively empower the youths with agriculture information and education that are capable of spurring them into agricultural or agro-based activities. There are materials that the youths can find on the social media that explain complex issues associated with the agriculture sector, and breaks them down through informative or explanatory articles. The youths will need training and retraining to excel in their agricultural activities. Training and exposure to modern ways of farming can be got online without the youths leaving their location. Live streaming and clips of the practical ways of how different farming technologies are used can be seen. Only science and technology-based agricultural practise would add value to the nation’s economic development. The E-wallet system introduced by the Goodluck Jonathan administration to aid the distribution of fertilizers to the farmers that need them around the country, and not those

Social media, Youths and Agricultural Development 41 who just acquire them to resell, boosted agriculture to a great extent. This is a social media related scheme that should be continued. Also laudable is the recent launching of the E-Agriculture Portal by the Federal Government to supply information on all aspects of agriculture in Nigeria to farmers and those who are interested in Agriculture. This is a step in the right direction, and a way forward in deploying technology to aid the growth of agriculture in Nigeria. The youths will gladly take part in these because they have their phones handy. Sustainable development through modern agricultural methods is the current trend globally, Science and technology should be deployed to improve food security, provide high- yield, disease-resistant seedlings, pest control and mechanisation. Hence Nnamani (2016) quotes the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, to having said that “If we don’t mechanise the process of faming, we can never get young people to farm because I cannot see any young person who will go and use the machete that our great-grandfathers used,”. Okpoko (2007) buttresses this argument when he said “agriculture can only become a viable business if the tedium of farming is removed through the introduction of modern working tools, including the ICT to help in the entire process of farm planning, planting, harvesting, storage, distributing and marketing…” Capacity building programmes, workshops, seminars and conferences must be organized to educate youth farmers to see reasons why they should adopt new agricultural technologies. These could be supported through intensive campaigns on radio, television, print media and the social media. The media function as the link between youth farmers and the government because they play a key role in disseminating information to and from both sides for enhanced agricultural production. Challenges of the use of the social media for agricultural development The successful use of the social media to drive agricultural development through the youths in a nation like Nigeria may experience some hiccups due to various reasons, chiefs among those reasons are the low economic power of the youths, and shortage in infrastructure availability. Most of the technology with which to participate on the social media platforms like laptops and smart phones are quite expensive that most youths cannot avoid to buy them. Social media are being used to spread wrong information about agricultural activities especially about food and farming. Newmedia.dash (2015) observes that when social media users whom are uneducated about farming practices come across videos and misinformed articles, they quickly share them without knowing that they bring a lot of dent on agricultural activities. Even though most of the social media users are youths, yet the fact remains that many of them still lack skill and competence in using the social media. There is non- availability of training facilities specially designed to equip the youth with the needed skills for as farmers using the social media. Though national and international organizations are opening up to the prospects of social media, at local level this digital media still faces scepticism (Suchiradipta and Saravanan, 2016). Apart from the insufficient Internet access youths experience in the use of different social media platforms, connectivity is another issue with the utilisation of the social media for agricultural development. Users experience network failures and periodic power outages,

Social media, Youths and Agricultural Development 42 especially in rural areas where most local farmers reside. Mendoza (2016) adds that infrastructure, sustainable revenue models, cultural acceptance and market linkages are other obstacles to overcome if social networking is to become the norm in rural agriculture. To Lathiya, Rathod and Choudhary (2015), overuse of social networks can lead to procrastination and a tendency to waste time and become addicted to constantly being updated on what is happening around the agriculture world. They opine that since the advantages of using the social media have no direct, immediate and easily recognised financial returns, there is an opportunity cost of time that must be acknowledged. The trio add that there is also a risk of becoming too reliant on social networks and removing onesself from contact in the physical world. As with any online tool, use of it in moderation is obviously the ideal outcome as face-to- face communication ultimately is a great source of networking and communication. The circulation of negative images and messages falsely depicting agriculture on the social media have reached millions, if not billions, of internet users all over the world, and these are not healthy for the growth of agriculture. Olson (2012) notices that for those individuals living in the city, a YouTube video posted by anybody may be all that person knows of agriculture. According to him if that person thinks pigs are mistreated, that person might not want to purchase pork anymore. He said this could have a ripple effect and could potentially be a serious problem, and the livelihoods of farmers everywhere are on the line. The circulation of an anti-agriculture story, news, information, or video through a simple tweet, blog post, Facebook post, or YouTube video could have devastating effect on agricultural development. Conclusion It is glaring that agricultural development is of great importance to a nation because of the numerous advantages that comes with it, however there must me deliberate efforts to “recruit” the youths into this venture if it must succeed. This is because any nation that want to succeed must not ignore her teeming youth population who are the efficient workforce of any nation. The youths who account for more than half the population of Nigeria can successfully drive the agricultural sector if shown the “how to do it” via the social media. The social media are the most effective means to communicate with the youths because they spend most of their time accessing them. Since the social media are the major platforms youth use for communication government should use it to introduce he “school-to-land policy” into Nigeria`s education policy to expose youths to agriculture while they are still in school. What government need to do before using the social media to reach the youths is for it to evaluate their implications in disseminating information in order to bring to light their functional and dysfunctional roles so as to know how to profitably utilize these veritable tools of communication. Recommendations As a way of developing agriculture for the youths to partake in it the following recommendations are made: i. Youth agriculturalists in Nigeria must tap the benefits of the social media in order to change the face of agricultural practice in the country and avoid being left out of global trends.

Social media, Youths and Agricultural Development 43 ii. Youths should constantly use the social media to collect ideas and share knowledge on various farming technique globally, and reach out for opinions. ii. Agriculture should be made more attractive by establishing “farm estates” with basic amenities like light, water, and electricity where youths can reside and concentrate on agriculture. iii. Long term low-interest loans should be given to youths who embrace agriculture as a profession. iv. Government must put in place training programs, awareness campaigns, and workshops to help youths understand and use social media better in their agricultural activities. v. Youths should form social media platforms to discuss current issues in the agriculture industry. vi. Yearly budgets should focus on the development of agro-industries across the country. vii. The youth should use the social media to market their produce internationally instead of depending solely on the local market.

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