Employment and Socioeconomic Effects of Semi-Mechanized Palm Oil Mill in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Aims: The unemployment rate in Nigeria has risen in recent years. Activities related to the oil palm industry could employ millions of people. This study evaluated the employment and socioeconomic influence of semi-mechanized oil palm processing in Elebele, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Methodology: Direct observations and interviews of the employees of the processing units of the mill were used to obtain the data. Results: The mill employed eleven workers for each shift and each person had the capacity of producing 9.1 liters of palm oil per day. The labor force was comprised of able-bodied men and women (72.7 and 27.3% respectively). During processing, women sieved the oil while men received the palm bunches at the plant. Men also loaded bunch on stripper, stripped, sieved, sterilized/boiled, digested/pressed, clarified and dried the oil. The processors ranged from 21 to 51 years old. The educational background showed that they were graduates of universities (degree), polytechnics (diploma), secondary (high) school, standard six certificates, or no standard six certificate (13, 35, 30, 22 and 0%, respectively). The employees had worked in the industry for <10 to> 30 year. Conclusion: The study shows that the semi-mechanized oil palm industry can be an important source of employment creation in Nigeria.