Abstract

In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), agriculture continues to play a fundamental role in the economic portfolio of rural households. Generally, youths in rural Africa have little aspiration for careers in the agricultural sector and instead migrate to urban areas to seek employment and better living conditions. In Cameroon, the majority of migrants are youths between 18 and 35, who end up facing serious problems of unemployment and underemployment when they arrive at their urban destinations.  The government is turning to agriculture as a source of employment for youth; however, there is scant literature on the determinants of the attraction of youths, especially college students, to the sector. This exploratory study sought to identify these determinants and to investigate strategies for making agriculture appealing to students for future career development. The overarching factors attracting college students to agriculture in the study area include the availability of arable land and easy access to it, access to start-up financing, the introduction of adapted mechanization and relevant information and communication technologies, increased productivity leading to higher returns on investment in agriculture, education and training, and positive messaging about agriculture targeting youth. The paper recommends profound land tenure reforms, the provision of adapted financial services, establishment of farm mechanization pools, the inclusion of agriculture in college curricula, and positive communication strategies to rebrand agriculture.

Key words: Agriculture, attraction, careers, college students, determinants.