Evaluation of Agricultural Enterprise Development Services for Rural Youth in Taraba State, North East Nigeria

Enterprise development services targeting rural youth in agriculture have emerged as a key strategy for addressing the dual challenges of rural youth unemployment and agricultural succession. In Taraba State, various government and NGO-supported programmes provide business development, technical, and market linkage support to young agro-entrepreneurs. This study evaluated agricultural enterprise development services for rural youth in Taraba State. Seventy-two young agribusiness participants in enterprise development programmes were surveyed across four local government areas, complemented by key informant interviews with programme managers and development partners. Data covered service types received, service quality perceptions, enterprise performance outcomes, and sustainability of supported enterprises. Descriptive statistics, service quality indices, and logistic regression were applied. Results indicated that youth enterprises supported with integrated service packages combining technical training, business mentorship, and market linkage facilitation had an 18-month survival rate of 67 percent, compared to 34 percent for enterprises receiving only technical training. Access to follow-up advisory support after initial training was identified as the most critical success factor. Financial literacy and record-keeping were the most widely reported capacity gaps. The study recommends redesigning enterprise development programmes to provide at least 12 months of post-training mentorship support and to integrate financial product literacy as a core component. Keywords: enterprise development, rural youth, agribusiness, Taraba State, mentorship.