Home Economics Education and Women’s Participation in Agribusiness in Benue State

This study examines the influence of Home Economics Education on women's participation in agribusiness enterprises in Benue State, North Central Nigeria. Agribusiness encompasses the full spectrum of agricultural value chain activities including production, processing, marketing, and distribution, and Home Economics competencies in food processing and entrepreneurship are directly applicable to agribusiness development. The study employs a descriptive survey design, targeting 200 women agribusiness operators in Makurdi and Logo local government areas who have secondary or post-secondary Home Economics training. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Objectives include assessing the Home Economics competencies applied by women in their agribusiness operations, determining the relationship between educational attainment in Home Economics and business performance, and identifying barriers to women's agribusiness advancement. Recent literature from Benue State documents that women with Home Economics training are more likely to engage in food value-addition enterprises such as cassava processing, soy milk production, and dried food packaging than their counterparts without such training. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation, regression analysis, and mean scores. The Human Capital Theory frames the study. Findings are expected to reveal significant positive relationships between Home Economics training and women's agribusiness performance. Recommendations address the Benue State Agricultural Development Programme, the Ministry of Women Affairs, and tertiary institutions to strengthen agribusiness modules in Home Economics programmes. Keywords: Home Economics Education, agribusiness, women entrepreneurs, food processing, Benue State.