sop for the University of Manitoba
Being born into a community where farming activities are the major means of livelihood, I naturally grew up curious about agriculture. Visits to farms were a normal part of my childhood experience.
However, I lost interest in agriculture when I realized that most farming households struggle financially. I later found out that, most of these farming households struggle because their farming methods were outdated, they didn't inculcate sound economic and financial principles in their enterprise and my nation's economic policies were grossly lacking.
This realization, coupled with the fact that the economy of Nigeria, my nation could grow in leaps and bounds if her agricultural sector was well harnessed solidified my decision to study Agricultural Economics and Farm Management for my Bachelor's degree. I wanted to be able to contribute immensely to my nation's development.
In 2011, due to the projected food crisis, high food importation bill, and the hunger and malnutrition problems in the country; the government decided to promote indigenous food production.
This decision led to the Cocoyam Rebirth Initiative- Cocoyam being an indigenous tuber crop with low cost of production and high post-harvest values and potentials that had been greatly underutilized.
Thus, my undergraduate project was based on the consumption pattern of cocoyam and the willingness to pay a premium for its health benefits using the regression analysis to model the response of socioeconomic variables to price of cocoyam and willingness to pay more.
After earning my Bachelor's degree, I worked with Amo Byng-an agricultural firm as a business efficiency officer where I gained useful insights into agricultural business and finance especially as it relates to a private firm.
Due to my thirst for knowledge, propensity for research and love for academics, I decided to study further for a master's degree (still in agricultural Economics) at the University of Ibadan - acclaimed as the first and best institution for higher learning in Africa. There, I conducted a research on the effect of adoption of new varieties of yam on farmers' productivity and income level using the Heckman's model.
I worked as a volunteer agricultural extension officer after my Masters degree. Working as a volunteer agricultural extension officer with the Oyo State Agricultural Development Program under the auspices of the N-Power Scheme of the Federal Government of Nigeria enabled me to have a deeper glimpse into the agricultural sector of the nation.
This experience granted me further insight into the agricultural economy of the nation from the viewpoint of the public sector.
Thus, my experience of the agricultural sector of my nation from the trio perspectives of the individual farmer, the private corporation and the government afforded me a somewhat rare but useful balanced viewpoint of the nation's agricultural economic sector.
This balanced viewpoint, coupled with my inclination towards research and finding solution and insights into real life situations through economic modelling is what informed my decision to obtain a doctoral degree, this time internationally. This would give me a worldwide viewpoint that studying in my home country may not.
Having gone through the website of the University of Manitoba, and noting the research interests of the some members of faculty, I assert that obtaining a PhD specializing in Agricultural Economics from the University of Manitoba is the right next step in my career aspiration towards serving my nation and humanity in general especially in the agricultural sector.
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Please, I would really appreciate your feedbacks on this.
Thank you.