Abstract

In an era when youth unemployment triggers high crime rates due to minimal economic opportunities, effort to boost youth empowerment through meaningful training in avian mini-livestock (AM) for livelihood becomes crucial. Several competencies have been suggested to train unemployed youths for economic empowerment except in the direction of identifying practical managerial and marketing skills in AM. Hence, this study identified housing, feeding, health care, brooding and marketing competencies in AM production for training unemployed youths. A quantitative survey research technique was adopted to collect data from 218 avian mini-livestock farmers and agricultural extension agents using a structured questionnaire. The outcome of the study showed that all the identified competencies in the AM agri-business of housing, feeding, health maintenance practices, brooding and marketing are required for training unemployed youths. The outcome of the tested hypotheses indicated a significant difference (p<0.05) in the respondents’ mean responses on the managerial and marketing competencies required for training unemployed youths in AM production for economic empowerment. Based on the research outcomes, it was recommended, among others, that government through the ministry of agriculture and education should inspire unemployed youths to engage in AM production for economic freedom to minimize waste of human resources.