Perceptions and Strategies for Sustainable Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Development in Nigeria: Insights from Stakeholders

Despite Nigeria's significant potential for agribusiness entrepreneurship, its agricultural productivity remains below regional and global averages, hindered by limited entrepreneurial competence, infrastructural deficits, and inconsistent policy frameworks. These challenges necessitate a focused investigation into stakeholder perceptions and strategies for overcoming internal and external barriers to agribusiness development and fostering sustainable practices that engage youth and drive economic growth. This study aims to assess the perceptions of stakeholders regarding the development of agribusiness entrepreneurship in Nigeria. The research involved two phases: first, identifying the internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats, perceived by stakeholders as major obstacles to agribusiness entrepreneurship development in Nigeria; second, gathering and analyzing stakeholders' opinions on the effectiveness of sustainable agribusiness development strategies. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through 28 in-depth interviews, four focus group discussions, and interviews with key informants across four states: Kano, Benue, Cross River, and Oyo. Selected crops included rice, maize, yam, oranges, cassava, and palm oil. Major actors in agribusiness were engaged to provide insights into the sector's role in nutritional diets and income generation, particularly among youth. The study found that creating a favorable macropolicy environment, ensuring food safety and market supply consistency, enhancing human capacity, improving access to finance, and strengthening research capacity are crucial for sustainable agribusiness development. These strategies align with institutional economics and market failure theory, emphasizing the importance of supportive policies and quality control. The findings underscore the need for collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors to create an enabling environment for agribusiness entrepreneurship, aiming to boost productivity, competitiveness, and profitability while addressing economic and societal challenges.