INDUSTRIAL SKILLS AND THE GROWTH OF AGRO-BASED INDUSTRIES IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated industrial skills and development of agro based industries in Rivers State, Nigeria. The 
study operationalized the independent variable of industrial skills into dimensions of communication, 
conceptualization and marketing skills for the development of agro-based industries in Rivers State. The research 
design for the study was correlational. The population of the study was 250 staff of 10 agro based companies in 
Rivers State, Nigeria. The study sample was 100. The study adopted stratified random sampling technique in 
which 10 staff were chosen from each of the 10 agro based companies. The instrument for data collection was 
questionnaire, adapted in the modified likert scale of very high extent (4), high extent (3), low extent (2) and very 
low extent (1). The questionnaire was validated by a senior lecturer in Measurement and evaluation from Rivers 
State University, Nigeria. The reliability of the instrument was tested using Crombach Alpha and obtained 
.933>/71 which showed that the instrument was reliable. The study found that the three variables used in the 
study showed significant relationship with the development of agro based industries in Rivers State. The study 
concluded that communication, conceptualization and marketing skills significantly relate to development of 
agro based industries in Rivers State. The study recommended that among others, that teachers of Vocational and 
Technical Education Training (TVET) should emphasize to students the need to invest or conceptualize agro 
business plans in agro based businesses.