Senior Secondary School Graduates Entrepreneurial Skill Training Requirement for Improved Pig Production in Abua /Odual Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined Senior Secondary School Graduates Entrepreneurial Skill Training Requirement for improved Pig Production in Abua /Odual Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. A sample size of 64 subjects was used for the study. This comprised of 20 pig farmers and 16 Agricultural Science secondary school teachers in Abua/Odual Local Government Area and 28 agricultural extension agents in Rivers State. The Entrepreneurial Skill Training Inventory (ESTI) and Improved Pig Production Scale (IPPS) instruments were used. The instruments were validated by 2 experts each in the department of vocational and technical education, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education and Rivers State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP). The reliability of the instruments was established using the Cronbach Alpha method to obtain indices of   0.754 and 0.775 for the ESTI and IPPS instruments respectively. Data obtained from the 64 copies of the ESTI and IPPS instruments was analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis. The result revealed that: Entrepreneurial skills (via: technical and managerial) contributed to SSS graduates training on improved husbandry, post-husbandry and marketing stages of pig production in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State. The study recommended amongst others that: Would-be student pig farmers constantly develop and apply innovations that will improve the post-husbandry stage which increases the physical, social and economic environment of pig production, alongside encouraging government to develop the markets for pig products, which will improve income generation, food security and employment provision.

Keywords: Senior Secondary School Graduate, Entrepreneurial Skill Training, Improved Pig Production, Abua/Odual Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria.