Analysis of Agricultural Students in Sub-Saharan Africa Venturing into Self-employed Agribusinesses: Empirical Evidence from the University of Ghana

Agribusinesses are an essential part of Sub-Saharan African (SSA) economies. Skilled human resource is however required for the creation and sustainable growth of these agribusinesses. This study uses data collected on final year agricultural students of the University of Ghana to analyze the likelihood of agricultural students venturing into self-employed agribusinesses. We also look into the factors that influence this likelihood as well as the forms of agribusinesses that students are likely to venture into. We find that, there is 84 percent probability that an agricultural student would venture into an agribusiness. The probability that an agricultural student would venture into an agribusiness is higher for male students. Also, the probability that a student would venture into an agribusiness is higher for students who perceive agribusinesses to be prestigious and profitable. We find that students are more likely to venture into forms of agribusinesses related to subjects in which they receive the highest levels of training. This study is important for informing educational policy decisions as well as ways to incentivize more agricultural students to venture into sustainable agribusinesses.