Abstract

Koloche I.M, Solomon S, Bello O.G, Yahaya S.A., Garba H.M , Mohammed A. Osaroodin P.E

The study was carried out in agricultural zone 1 of Niger State which consists of eight (8) local government areas, namely Lapai, Agaie, Katcha, Bida, Gbako, Lavun, Edati, and Mokwa. The study assessed the rural youth participation in adoption of shea nuts collection and shea nuts processing technologies. The specific objectives were to; determine the level of adoption of improved Shea nuts processing technologies, the productivity of adoption of improved shea nuts collection in the study area. Data for the study were collected using questionnaires for 150 rural youth Shea nuts processors. The study revealed that majority (60.00%) were youth and 100% of these processors were female. The result also showed that 100 percent of the processors adopted most of the improved shea nuts processing technologies, with the exemption of parboiling, sorting/grading, storage of shea nuts, deodorant of shea butter and storage of shea butter. The result indicated that improved shea nuts processing technologies had significant relationship at 0.05% probability level with adoption of improved shea nuts processing technologies. The major constraints affecting the youth participation were high cost of technologies, inadequate credit facilities and poor marketing of product. The study concluded that there was high percentage of rural youth participation on the adoption of improved shea nuts processing technologies in Niger State.