Impacts of training on shaping students’ perceptions and career aspirations in aquaculture.

Abstract

Nigeria, the second-largest aquaculture producer in Africa, significantly contributes to food security and economic development, yet youth participation in aquaculture remains limited. This study evaluated the impact of aquaculture training on the perceptions and entrepreneurial aspirations of 450 Senior Secondary School Students (55.6% males, 44.4% females) in Southwest Nigeria through pre-and post-training assessments using structured questionnaires. The training periods lasted for 4 weeks. Post-training results showed substantial improvements in students' willingness to acquire entrepreneurial skills, with the mean Likert score for “Aquaculture is a viable career option” increasing from 3.2 to 4.5 (p < 0.05) and for “I would consider fish farming as a business” rising from 2.8 to 4.2 (p < 0.05). Knowledge of aquaculture's role in food security and economic sustainability increased by 35.6%, and the percentage of students interested in incorporating aquaculture into their career plans grew from 55.6% to 88.9%. Despite these gains, barriers such as the lack of fisheries teachers and the absence of aquaculture in school curricula
hinder sustained engagement. The findings highlighted the transformative potential of targeted training in enhancing awareness, fostering entrepreneurial aspirations, and addressing barriers to youth participation, emphasizing the importance of integrating aquaculture education into school curricula and providing practical training opportunities to support the sector’s growth and sustainability.