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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background to the Study

Historically, Home Economics as a course in the Nigerian educational system was dated as far back as 1840s. Domestic science was taught in mission and government schools to girls and women, with a lot of improvisation for the teaching of the subject. Today the course is regarded as a very important subject, unique and broad based. Home Economics according to Okaru, (1994) is one of the subjects provided for the National Policy on Education. It is categorized as a vocational subject, requiring both theoretical and practical lessons. At the senior secondary school level, Home Economics is one of the areas in which students are examined. The entire curriculum is separated into three units which are treated as distinct and alternatives, such that students are required to take just one aspect. The distinct areas are food and nutrition, clothing and textiles and home management. A student who has benefited from this course is expected to acquire enough skills and knowledge that would stimulate his interest in further studies in home economics as well as enable him put into practice, at home and in industry, the ideas so acquired (Olushola 1992). Consequently, there is increased support of world and international agencies like UNICEF, UNESCO, FAO, WHO, CESAC, Federal ministries of Agriculture and Education. They organize and finance conferences, training in Home Economics and related fields. They also support researches in the area. Today their activities have made the national planners and Nigerian citizens realize the importance of Home Economics for family living and national development, (Nwaiwu, 1988). The development of any nation hinges on the social and economic contributions of her citizens. All features of sustainable development are deprived by poverty abject poverty, wide spread hunger and illiteracy is the main problems which the Nigerian governments past and present has not been able to address. Various programmes were initiated and implemented by the governments, billions of Naira was spent on these programmes, yet Nigerians have been increasingly living in a sorry situation of poverty hunger and illiteracy. Home economics is a vocational subject that passes knowledge and skills from the grass root home/family. Molokwu (2007) postulated that the knowledge and skills which Homes Economics provides can be taught in school, formally organized or even in a non-formal settings and skills, individuals involves in these skills acquisition can become self-reliant or employers of Labour. Therefore sustainable human development can be achieved through home economics. The career opportunities available in home economics are: teaching, textile design, fashion design, dietetic, nursery day-care management, food and beverage production and different kinds of services. Households and the individuals living in the society are the main focus of Home economics .Education and knowledge in Home economics empowers individuals to fulfil their fundamental needs and to manage everyday life scarce resources. Education in home economics skills, like resource management and household finances in combination with psychosocial stabilization of the family leads to productive and regeneration capacity of the otherwise poverty disenfranchised individual. The well-being and the regeneration of the private home is a basic social goal for a full use of one’s potential for education and paid work. Home economics education provides knowledge in food production, poultry and animal rearing nutrition skills. Not only does Home economics education ensure self-sufficiency and self-reliance for the individual, families and communities but also serves as source income generation. By selling the excess food produced, animals reared, eggs and birds from poultry in the family setting from a sustainable income generation activity. Opportunity is opened for families and individuals. When the availability of food combined with nutritional and health skills then it leads to an adequate nutrition for the young ones and youth in the family which will make them physically fit and mentally sound to use educational opportunity at their disposalIn spite of the efforts of researcher in stating the values and the importance of Home Economics as a vital subject in secondary school and a course of study in higher institutions, for example, the works of Olaosebikan, Victoria (2002) on Mechanism for Motivating Students in Developing Interest in Learning Clothing and Textiles in Colleges of Education in North-Eastern States of Nigeria and that of Felicia Olufunke Ibhaze (2012) mainly focused on higher institutions and secondary schools respectively. There seems to be none that has worked on the effects of home economics on the business growth both locally and internationally using Taraku Soya Milk Manufacturing Company Nigeria Limited Benue State, Nigeria, as a case study.