DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME IN SORGHUM PRODUCTION ENTERPRISES FOR TRAINING SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATES FOR EMPLOYMENT IN KWARA AND KOGI STATES, NIGERIA

Abstract

This  study  focused  on  the  development  of  resource  management  programme  in  sorghum production enterprises for training secondary school graduates for employment in Kwara and Kogi States, Nigeria. Six research questions were answered by the study and six hypotheses were formulated and tested at the probability of 0.05. Research and Development design was adopted for the study. The population of the study was 1,624 made up of eight lecturers of Agricultural Education from University of Nigeria Nsukka, 61 Lecturers from Colleges of Education, 499 Teachers of Agricultural Science in Secondary Schools, 239 Extension Agents in Kwara and Kogi States, 425 registered Sorghum processors and 392 registered Sorghum Marketers in Kwara and Kogi States. The sample for the study was 692 made of eight Lecturers of Agricultural Education from University of Nigeria Nsukka, 61 Lecturers in Colleges of Education, 200 Teachers of Agricultural Science in Secondary Schools, 96 Extension Agents, 170 registered sorghum processors and 157 registered sorghum marketers in Kwara and Kogi States. Five sets of instruments were used for data collection for the study. The five sets of questionnaire were face-validated by one expert each from these institutions: Department of Agricultural Education, University of Nigeria Nsukka; Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, University of Ilorin; Department of Curriculum Studies, University of Ilorin; Department of Crop Production, College of Agriculture, Mokwa, Niger State; and one sorghum processor from Wakilin Mata Sorghum Processing Industry, Ilorin; their suggestions were used to produce the final instrument used for the study. Cronbach Alpha method was utilized to determine the internal consistency of the five sets of questionnaire items in which a coefficient of

0.86 was obtained for programme objectives and packaging procedure, 0.79 for sorghum growing enterprise, 0.84 for sorghum processing enterprise, 0.81 for sorghum marketing enterprise and 0.79 for training procedure with an average of 0.82. Data for the study were collected with the help of six research assistants. The data collected were analyzed using weighted mean to answer the research questions and standard deviation to determine the spread of the respondents around the mean in their responses while t-test statistics and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05. Based on the data analysed, the study identified three objectives of each sorghum enterprises (growing, processing and marketing), seven clusters with 105 resource management skills in sorghum growing enterprise, six clusters with 82 resource management skills in sorghum processing enterprise, four clusters with 39 resource management skills in sorghum marketing  enterprise,  25  procedures  for  training  secondary  school  graduates  in  the  three enterprises (growing, processing and marketing) and six procedures for packaging each sorghum production enterprise into a programme. The result of the hypotheses tested showed that there were  no  significant  difference  in  the  mean  ratings  of  respondents  on  programme  objectives, sorghum  growing  enterprise,  sorghum  processing  enterprise,  sorghum  marketing  enterprise, training procedure and packaging procedure. Based on these findings, the study recommended among others that governments of Kwara and Kogi tates should direct the management of skill acquisition centres in the states to integrate the developed programmes in sorghum production enterprises  into  skill  acquisition  centers  for  training  secondary  school  graduates  and  other interested individuals for employment in sorghum production.

CHAPTER ONE

Background of the Study

INTRODUCTION

Sorghum (sorghum spp.) also known as guinea corn is a source of food for man and livestock. Sorghum according to Farber (2008) originated from tropical Africa and later spread to other parts of the continent including Nigeria. The author added that sorghum is a cereal crop that belongs to the family of graminae. Mask (2011) stated that sorghum crop can be grown on different soils throughout Nigeria. Sorghum produces best on deep, fertile, well drained loamy soil with pH of 5.2 – 6.5. Water requirement of sorghum crop depends on the varieties but moderate rainfall at the early stage of its growth is the best. Sorghum grain in the opinion of Jean (1998) is ranked as the third most important cereal crop after maize and has more economic return than maize. This is because, it provides energy for people of West Africa especially the poor and the less privileged ones. The author maintained that from early 70s to date, about 90% of rural dwellers solely depend on sorghum grain as one of the principal sources of calories when consumed.

Sorghum grain in the opinion to Adamu (2002) has been playing prominent roles in food security of many states in Nigeria including Kwara. The author stated the benefits of sorghum production as follows: the grain is used for compounding poultry feeds such as chicks mash, and broiler starter among others; animals such as camel, sheep, and goats graze on sorghum farms immediately after harvest to eat

stalk, leaves and left over grain (sorghum residues); mature stalks of sorghum crops are used in fence and hut making in the rural areas especially in farm settlements. Other importance of sorghum in relation to animal production according to Ejike (1995) includes the use of sorghum plants to feed livestock especially when converted to silage and hay; it results into appreciable growth and development of animals which consequently brings higher economic returns to the farmers and animal breeders. Sorghum grain is used in feeding animals such as cattle, goats, sheep and horses and serves as raw materials to brewery industries for production of drinks including Maltina and Maltonic. Sorghum grain is used as human food in various forms such as flour meal (Tuwo) pap (Akamu and koko) when adequately processed and prepared. Dry straws or stalks from sorghum are used as fuel for cooking and also serves as stake for yam depending on the varieties of sorghum plant.

Varieties  of  sorghum seeds  according to  Adamu  (2002)  are  produced  by National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI) and distributed through the Ministry of Agriculture/Agricultural Development Project (ADP) to farmers. These varieties are sorghum caudatun, sorghum feteriza, sorgum magaritif (Kaura) sorghum dura (Egyptian) sorghum caffrorum (Kaffir) and sorghum mellitum (sweet sorghum). The researcher observed that about 75% of farmers in the area of the study are mainly interested in growing sorghum dura and sorghum caffrorum varieties. This is because the varieties are high yielding, quick maturing and drought resistant in nature. The straws are found to be very strong when used as stakes in yam production.

Production is the process of combining many activities together in order to make goods and services available to meet the needs of individuals. Burker (1998) defined production as various economic activities aimed at producing goods and services for the satisfaction of human want. The author further explained that these goods and services produced must possess utility, which means that they must be acceptable of satisfying human wants. Olaitan, Igbo, Nwachukwu, Onyemachi and Ekong (1999) viewed production as the process which transforms the resources into useful  goods  and  services using human, capital, land,  building and  other  utility services  to  effect  a  change.  Production in  this  study  is  the  process  of  growing sorghum through various activities from land preparation to the harvest and finally transform the grain into quality products such as flour, paste and drinks among others for human and livestock consumption. Any of the sorghum varieties can be selected for sorghum production in order to establish an enterprise.

An enterprise according to Paulcagham (1999) is organization which involved in adventurous or risk bearing business operations with the aims of achieving the objectives of the business. Christine (2008) explained enterprise as an organization with partially overlapping objectives working together with rules and regulations guiding  it  for  a  period  of  time  to  achieve  expected  objectives.  In  this  study, production enterprises, is a group of sorghum production activities in the areas of sorghum  growing,  processing  and  marketing  governed  by  guidelines  for  the generation of outputs that are very useful to the relevant consumers. Each enterprise

uses technologies, competencies, information and other available material and human resources in order to transform inputs to outputs for the benefit of the society.

Human resources according to Olaitan et al. (1999) are those acquired and functional knowledge and skills which individuals can supply and gainfully utilize for purposes  of  achieving  optimum  productivity.  Human  resources  in  the  view  of Owoeye (2000) exist in people and consist of potential abilities as well as current attributes such as knowledge, skills, and talents. In this study, human resources are skills and activities like growing of sorghum, processing of sorghum into flour, past and drinks and making processed sorghum available to the consumers.

Material resources according to Ede and Olaitan (2009) are all the assets which may be used to achieve the goals. Ohakwe (1999) defined material resources as the physical and concrete ways which helps to achieve a goal. The author added that material resources are tangible assets that offer services. Among them are raw materials, facilities, machineries and the ground. Facilities in this work are the tools, machines, farm sites and equipment involved in the process of sorghum growing, processing and marketing of its products. Each human and material resource occupies its appropriate positions in management.

Management as viewed by Amoyedo (2007) is the process of allocating inputs (human  and   material  resources)  into  production  by  planning,  directing,  and controlling them for  purpose  of  producing output  (goods  and  services)  that  are demanded by the consumers so that organizational objectives can be successfully

accomplished. Adidu and Olannye (2006) defined management as the process of enhancing organizational objectives through planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling the activities of an enterprise. Management in this study involves planning, content elements to be implemented and marketing. Planning is the process of taking and deciding about a plan for achieving the objectives of sorghum enterprises. Planning includes statement of objectives, sources of funding, types of personnel and  their  qualities, budgeting and  records to  keep,  among others.  All planning activities are carried out before implementation. Implementation in terms of sorghum production are  content elements to  be  in  each  knowledge and  skill  in sorghum growing, processing and marketing while marketing concentrates on marketing sorghum grain products available to the consumers through different channels with their facilities.

Resource management in the view of Mamudu (2007) is the efficient and effective development and allocation of organizational resources where and when they are needed. Such resources may include human skills, productions skills or information technology. Rabiu (2008) defined resource management as the process of planning, allocating and  scheduling of  resources to  a  particular task which may typically include man power, machines, money and other materials for leveling and smoothing of that task. In the context of this study, resource management involves the identification and utilization of resources required in planning, implementing and marketing  in  sorghum  enterprise  towards  achieving planned  objectives  for  each

enterprise. All the activities involved in resource management are developed into a programme as an enterprise.

Development as defined by Robert (2008) is a creative knowledge prepared by industry as a function through research in a working model. The author stressed further that it simplified the constraints and opportunities for progressive change in a physical outlook such as size, shape and function before production. Quirk (1995) defined development as an art of making something clear by studying it more, by speaking or writing abut it in a more details or it is an art of marking something more organized.  Development  in  this  study  entails  the  following:  objectives  of  an enterprise; planning activities of an enterprise; an enterprise content elements (sorghum growing, processing and marketing); facilities required in each enterprise and training procedure for each enterprise (sorghum growing, processing, and marketing) for empowering the beneficiaries with skills during training for success in each enterprise.

For effective development of a programme, experts in each enterprise must have significant inputs into the development. For example, in programme objectives, training procedure and packaging procedure, experts like lecturers in universities and colleges of education with relevant background and training in agricultural education must  have  inputs.  For  sorghum  growing  enterprise  and  facilities  experts  with sufficient background and training procedure in crop production with bias in sorghum crop  must have input; for sorghum processing in  processing of  grain experts in

industry  must  have  inputs  in  identifying  relevant  skills  and  material  resources required in sorghum processing. Finally, for marketing enterprise, experts in business must have inputs in the identification of strategies and resources for facilitating the movement of goods and services in sorghum enterprise to the consumers. What is developed in these components are packaged into a programme.

Programme in the opinion of Budd (2012) is a plan of activities aimed at accomplishing a clear business objectives with detail on what is to be done; by whom, when and by what means or resources to use. Asogwa (2010) defined programme as containing a planned list of instruction to be executed or carried out in a logical manner. Programme in this study, involves the packaging of identified activities in the following components: objectives of each enterprises; content elements of each enterprises; facilities required in each enterprise and training procedures. These components are packaged for training secondary school graduates in sorghum enterprises for employment.

Secondary school graduates is defined by Onuka (2003) as those youths that had  successfully completed six  years of  secondary school education and  neither admitted into  higher institution nor  engaged  in  self  or  paid employment. In  the context of this study, secondary school graduates are those individuals that have completed three years of senior secondary school but could not obtain admission into any tertiary institution for further studies or self employed elsewhere because they lack work-skills; hence, they depend on their parents and society for survival.

Sorghum product has been scarce in the market because the farmers who are growing sorghum have abandoned it for rice production under Zimbabwe rice project. But the value of sorghum as sources of feeds for livestock, malt drinks among others has not been replaced by rice; hence, there is high demand for sorghum. In addition to the  scarcity  of  sorghum  products,  the  lack  of  employment  for  the  increasing secondary school graduates was a concern for governments in the area of study; the governments appeared to be interested in reviving sorghum production and at the same time providing employment to the increasing unemployed secondary school graduates.  They  therefore,  encouraged  skill  acquisition  centers  to  embrace  the training of secondary school graduates in sorghum enterprises as one of their programme.

A  visit  to  a  skill  acquisition  center  at  Ajase-Opo  in  Kwara  state  on  an excursion with agricultural education students of Kwara State College of Education (Technical) Lafiagi to study some of the agricultural trades being run in that centre; it was observed that the centre had training programmes in rice production, cassava and tractor driving; but there was no training programme in sorghum production. In a discussion with one of the administrators of skill acquisition centres, it was revealed that  government had  directed skill  acquisition centres in  the  state  to  commence training in sorghum production enterprises.

But their handicap was that there was no developed training programme on ground  in  these  skill  acquisition  centres  and  to  the  best  of  the  administrator’s knowledge, there was none in any of these skill acquisition centres throughout the state. The researcher therefore, became interested in developing training programme in  sorghum production enterprises that  could be  integrated into  skill  acquisition centres in order to fill the existing gap so that government could provide more jobs for unemployed secondary graduates and at the same time help government meet the demand for sorghum products locally and by neighbouring states like Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Niger.

Training in the opinions of Amusa, Alkali, and Oketobo (2010) is the process of preparing an individual for a job. Audu (2010) stated that training is a prerequisite for manpower development and economic growth of a nation. The author further stressed that training is given to the individuals in any formal organization. Training is very necessary as it helps unemployed secondary school graduates to equip them with the capacity to plan, organize, or set goals and execute the necessary programme in the society for the purpose of earning a living. In the context of this stud, training is the process of identify relevant training procedures suitable for empowering trainees or secondary school graduates at the relevant training centers in the states for the purpose of employing each secondary school graduates with skills in sorghum growing, processing and marketing for employment to enable them earn a living.

Employment in the view of Aigbe (2007) is a job, especially when it is carried out for earning income for a living. Hussman (2005) classified employment into paid employment and self-employment. Paid employment according to the author involved a person at work, performing during preference period (at least one to three hours) for wages or salaries either in cash or in kind. Self-employment as viewed by the author, is a work to be done in a form of an enterprise which may be business enterprise or a form of enterprise or a service undertaken where an individual is not paid by any employer, but makes his money and pays himself. Employment in this study, is the process of making job opportunities available in sorghum production enterprises for secondary school  graduates to  earn  their  living.  Secondary school  graduates are empowered enough with skills in sorghum growing, processing, and marketing to enable them fit adequately into available job opportunities in sorghum production enterprises in Kwara and Kogi states to enable them earn a living, contribute to the economy of the states and reduce to the barest minimum their dependence on their parents for survival.

Statement of the Problem

Kwara and Kogi states are endowed with extensive area of land and other factors such as rainfall, sunlight, relative humidity and soil suitable for sorghum production.  As  a  result  of  this  endowment,  farmers  are  expected  to  engage  in sorghum production for its  value. Many people in these  states rely  on sorghum products like flour, paste and drinks for their food and also their livestock such poultry, sheep, goats, cattle among others. At the time of this study, there is acute shortage  of  sorghum  products  caused  by  government  policy  to  increase  rice production  through  Kwara  state  facilitated  agricultural  programme  operated  by Zimbabwe rice farmers. The Zimbabwe rice farmers obtained the labour from the sorghum farmers who are paid on the spot for the labour they supplied.

Since these farmers are interested in quick money they abandoned their sorghum farms for the  Zimbabwe project for quick money. Rice cannot replace sorghum products like flour, paste and feeds for livestock, brewing of malt and local alcoholic drinks (Pito/Burukutu); hence, the scarcity of sorghum grain was easily felt by the people in the area of the study since substitutes are not easily available. There are also heavy losses in income from the states that dependent on sorghum grain import from Kwara and Kogi states. These dependent states are Ekiti, Oyo, Osun and Niger.

In  the  area  of  the  study  there  are  many  unemployed  secondary  school graduates who could not obtain admission into tertiary institutions for further studies or  get  employed elsewhere;  hence,  they  depend  on  their  parents  for  sustenance through hand out, where the hand outs are not easy to get they find survival in antisocial activities such as drug addiction for militancy, tauting at public places such as motor parks,  markets, religious environments, sex-work by females and other antisocial activities within their scope including political turgery, lying and false claims from parents and   relatives. Most of these behaviours are anti-development activities in the area of the study.

The governments became interested to increase the supply of sorghum grain and  at  the  same  time  provide  employment  for  unemployed  secondary  school graduates in order to reduce their menace in the society and make their independence economically; to this end, governments encouraged the skill acquisition centers to come to their rescue by providing training to interested secondary school graduates in sorghum production enterprises.  A visit to a skill acquisition center at Ajase-Opo in Kwara state on an excursion with agricultural education students of Kwara State College of Education (Technical) Lafiagi to study some of the agricultural trades being run in that centre; it was observed that the centre had training programmes in rice production, cassava and tractor driving; but there was no training programme in sorghum production. In a discussion with one of the administrators of skill acquisition centres, it was revealed that government had directed skill acquisition centres in the state to commence training in sorghum production enterprises.

But their handicap was that there was no developed training programme on ground in these skill acquisition centres and to the best of the administrator’s knowledge, there was none in any of these skill acquisition centres throughout the state. The researcher therefore, became interested in developing training programme in  sorghum  production enterprises that  could  be  integrated into  skill  acquisition centres in order to fill the existing gap so that government could provide more jobs for unemployed secondary graduates and at the same time help government meet the demand for sorghum products locally and by neighbouring states like Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Niger. The need to assist the governments of these states realize their intention of reducing unemployment of secondary school graduates and high supply

of sorghum products for export and local consumption made the researcher embark on this study.

Purpose of the Study

The major purpose of the study was to develop resource management programme  in  sorghum  production  enterprises  for  training  secondary  school graduates for employment in Kwara and Kogi States, Nigeria. Specifically, the study sought to identify items 1 to 6.

1.  The   objectives   of   each   sorghum  enterprise   (growing,   processing   and marketing) for training secondary school graduates for employment

2.  Resource  management  skills  (content)  in  sorghum  growing  enterprise  for training secondary school graduates for employment

3.  Resource management skills (content) in sorghum processing enterprise for training secondary school graduates for employment

4.  Resource management skills (content) in sorghum marketing enterprises for training secondary school graduates for employment

5.  Training procedure to be adopted in training secondary school graduates for employment

6.  Procedure for packaging resource management skills in each enterprise into a programme for training secondary school graduates for employment

7.  Revalidate the packaged programme with experts in order   to obtain well developed sorghum production enterprises in growing, processing and marketing

Significance of the Study

The study would be of benefit to administrators of vocational/skill acquisition centres, government of Kwara and Kogi States, Agricultural Extension agents, lecturers of higher institutions (Colleges of Education and Universities) Industrialist and Secondary School Graduates.

The study would provide information to administrators of skill acquisition centres on the development of resource management programme in sorghum production enterprises for training secondary school graduates for employment. This information could be used by them to integrate the resource management skills and materials into their programmes and also provide required number of personnel for effective training of secondary school graduates in sorghum production enterprises.

The study would provide information to the government of Kwara and Kogi States  on  the  development  of  resource  management  programme  in  sorghum production enterprises for training secondary school graduates for employment. This information could be used by the governments to know the types of resource to provide to the skill acquisition centres in order to make sorghum production programme effective in improving secondary school graduates with resource management  skills  and  materials  in  sorghum  production  enterprises  for  self- employment or self-living. Governments can also invest in skills acquisition centres for wealth creation through sorghum production enterprises establishment on large scale basis.

The study would provide information to the Agricultural Extension Agents on the development of resource management programme in sorghum production enterprises for training secondary school graduates for employment. This information could be used by them to organize re-training programmes for sorghum farmers in order to help them increase their incomes from sorghum products. This is because the resource management skills and materials identified are also relevant to the needs of the farmers.

In addition, the study would provide information to the lecturers in the higher institutions (Colleges of Education and Universities) on the development of resource management programme in sorghum production enterprises for training secondary school graduates for employment. This information could be used by lecturers to train the masters at skill acquisition centres who will train the trainees at skill acquisition centres.

The study would provide information to the industrialists on the development of resource management programme in sorghum production enterprises for training secondary school graduates for employment. This information could help them in identifying qualified workers from the skill acquisition centres that could be useful in the production activities for the industry.

The study would provide information to the secondary school graduates of Kwara and Kogi States on the  various enterprises that are available in sorghum production where they can make a living. Such enterprises are sorghum growing, processing and marketing. This information could be used by them to select any of the enterprises of their choice in skills acquisition centres for training.

The theoretical significance from this study would help the trainers in the specific training procedure to adopt in implementing the content of programme with the secondary school graduates for the realization of the objectives of equipping these secondary  school  graduates  with  relevant  skills  in  any  of  the  three  sorghum enterprises that could place them in employment for wealth creation.

Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide the study.

1.  What are the objectives of each sorghum enterprise (growing, processing and marketing) for training secondary school graduates for employment?

2.  What  are  the  resource  management  skills  (content)  in  sorghum  growing enterprise required for training secondary school graduate for employment?

3.  What are the resource management skills (content) in sorghum processing enterprise required for training secondary school graduates for employment?

4.  What  are  the  resource management skills (content) in  sorghum marketing enterprise required for training secondary school graduates for employment?

5.  What is the training procedure to be adopted for training secondary school graduates for employment?

6.  What  is  the  procedure for  packaging resource management skills  in  each sorghum production enterprise into a programme for training secondary school graduates for employment?

Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested by the study at P < 0.05.

1.  There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of the responses of agricultural  education  lecturers  in  university  and  those  of  agricultural education lecturers in colleges of education on the objectives of sorghum production  programmes  (growing,  processing and  marketing)  for  training secondary school graduates for employment.

2.  There is no significance difference in the mean ratings of the responses of agricultural education lecturers in colleges of education, teachers of agricultural science and  agricultural extension agents on  resource management skills required in sorghum growing enterprise for training secondary school graduates for employment.

3.  There is no significance difference in the mean ratings of the responses of registered sorghum processors and agricultural extension agents on resource management skills required in  sorghum processing enterprise for  training secondary school graduates for employment.

4.  There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of the responses of registered  sorghum  marketers  and  agricultural  extension  agents  on  the resource management skills required in  sorghum marketing enterprise for training secondary school graduates for employment.

5.  There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of the responses of agricultural education lecturers in university and lecturers of agricultural education lecturers in colleges of education on the procedure to be adopted for training secondary school graduates for employment.

6.  There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of the responses of agricultural education lecturers in university and lecturers of agricultural education lecturers in colleges of education on the procedure for packaging each  sorghum enterprise into  a  programme for  training secondary school graduates for employment.

Scope of the Study

The   study   covered   sorghum   growing,   sorghum   processing,   sorghum marketing,  procedure for  training  secondary  school  graduates  and  procedure  for packaging sorghum production into programmes. Data collection was restricted to the use of the questionnaire administered on lecturers, teachers of agricultural science, agricultural extension agents, sorghum processors and sorghum marketer from Kwara and Kogi States.

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