Abstract

The continuing decline in the price of the crude oil in the international market is a pointer to the fact that oil sector can no longer guarantee economic viability and sustainability in any nation. In Nigeria, this realization has led to increased urgency of the need to revitalize the agricultural sector, possibly return to its glorious days in the immediate post- independence. To drive the process, scholars argue for a shift from agriculture to agripreneurship. Using small scale farmers of Anambra as a case, this study interrogates existence and contribution of agripreneurial activities to the rural economy. The study employed multistage, purposive and random sampling techniques to generate relevant data using a structured questionnaire administered to 144 small scale farmers. The data generated were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Probit regression analysis, and factor analysis. The results revealed that majority (61.1%) of agripreneurs were female with a mean age of 43.14 years and an average household size of 6 persons. The results from the Probit analysis showed that household size, educational level, agripreneurship experience, level of annual income and non- farm income were statistically significant and influenced agripreneurship development. The study further identified various factors driving agripreneurship. Based on the findings, the study recommended, among others the establishment of functional micro-finance scheme that can boost the capital base of agripreneurs and streamlining government taxes, levies and checkmating illegal collections.

Key words: Agriculture, Agripreneurship, economic development.