Entrepreneurship Skills as a Yardstich for Self Employment and Subjective Welfare of the Nigerian Graduates
Professor Timothy Ihinmoyan
Sunday Fagbemi
Femi Seun Benjamin
Godfrey Onyilo Onmoke
The dynamism of the new economy creates enormous business opportunities that necessitate people to engage in innovative enterprising activity to grasp the opportunities at the right time and using the right way. Therefore, the move by the government through the Federal Ministry of Education to make entrepreneurship education one of the compulsory general studies for students in universities across the country should be seen as a positive step in the right direction, hence the study investigate entrepreneurship skills as a yardstick for self-employment and subjective welfare of the Nigerian graduates.
The research design adopted for this study was survey and descriptive designs. Data were obtained through structured questionnaires. The population of this study comprises of Business Administration students in the final year classes 400 Level (2019/2020 set) of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko , Ondo State Nigeria totalling one hundred and thirty eight (138). the sample size 103 was derive through the use Krejce and Morgan (1970)
The results revealed that entrepreneurship Education were statistically significant to entrepreneur skills, However, the overall effect of entrepreneurship education and fresh graduate intention to acquire entrepreneurial skills was significant (F= 13.454, p<0.00).
The following recommendations were suggested on the basis of the findings of the study and the conclusion agreed upon, every Institution in Nigeria should continue to teach students the importance of entrepreneurship education and also be more involving the practical aspect of entrepreneurship class.
In any economy, entrepreneurs are essential for fostering innovation as well as employment creation (Ayatse, 2013) Despite Nigeria’s vast natural and human resource endowment, the country’s graduate unemployment rate has been steadily rising (Adegoke, 2015). However, graduate unemployment is not unique to Nigeria or developing countries; rather, it is a long-standing worldwide issue, which is why it is normal in many nations to find university graduates unable to find employment for several years following graduation (Ayodele, 2017).
According to Chinyeaka, and Kehinde (2020), education has been crucial since Plato’s time for two main reasons: to transfer knowledge and to create new knowledge.
However, education institutions—especially higher education institutions—have been given a new, extra responsibility in the new economy, which is likewise knowledge-based: helping young graduates build sustainable entrepreneurial talent. People must engage in innovative enterprising activities to take advantage of the vast business prospects created by the new economy’s dynamism in order to do so at the appropriate time and in the right way (Igbokwe-Ibeto, Agbodike & Osakede, 2018).
According to scholarly theories, there is a connection between an economy’s institutions and the degree and kind of entrepreneurship that emerges (Bird, 2009). Research on the impact of institutions on entrepreneurship has frequently looked at those related to economic freedom.
Economic freedom refers to the extent to which property rights are protected, and voluntary transactions and competition are allowed in an economy (Golwatzer, 2006). A number of studies have focused on how economic freedom influences the overall level of entrepreneurship in an economy (Chinyeaka, & Kehinde (2020). Those who are self-employed often earn less than individuals in equivalent jobs who are working for someone else, and often have fewer fringe benefits as well (Igbokwe-Ibeto, Agbodike & Osakede, 2018). According Igbokwe-Ibeto, Agbodike & Osakede, (2018), economic freedom is the degree to which an economy permits voluntary transactions, competition, and the protection of property rights. Economic freedom and the total amount of entrepreneurship in an economy have been the subject of several studies (Golwatzer, 2006). Self-employed people frequently make less money and receive less benefits than those in similar positions who work for someone else (Igbokwe-Ibeto, Agbodike & Osakede, 2018).
In Aladekomo (2004), he documented the history of policies that relates to education, industry, employment and labour in Nigeria dating back to the colonial era. In a related vein Ayatse (2013) reports that our educational institution few as they were remained factories for producing white collar jobbers with no special professional nor was entrepreneurial skill envisaged in the education system. This means that before now, there has been complete absence of enterprise education in the educational system. Usman (2015) reports that there are no tools and benchmarks for assessing the quality of entrepreneurship education programmes offered in the tertiary institutions.
Among other goals, entrepreneurship education in Nigeria aims to equip university students with the information, abilities, and drive to support entrepreneurial success in a range of endeavors. In Nigeria, entrepreneurial education is available at every educational level, from elementary and secondary schools to graduate university degrees. It is an ongoing process of learning. The competitiveness of the knowledge economy depends on the idea of lifelong learning. It encompasses all life periods, all educational and training levels, and the various types of apprenticeship.system. According to Pretorius (2008), there are no standards or instruments for evaluating the caliber of entrepreneurship education programs provided by postsecondary educational institutions.
Akhuemonkhan et al. (2013) investigated job stimulation and entrepreneurial education in Nigeria. They found that encouraging entrepreneurship could be a useful strategy for reducing poverty, creating jobs, accelerating the implementation of universal primary education, and advancing gender equality. Notwithstanding its potential, entrepreneurship education has numerous obstacles, including a lack of funding, poor teaching strategies, a shortage of textbooks, a shortage of qualified instructors, and a plethora of other issues.
In a similar vein, Olorundare and Kayode (2014) came up with a model of how public and private partnership can be enhanced through entrepreneurship education in Nigerian universities towards national transformation and stressed out that challenges of entrepreneurship education which include inadequate trainers or little knowledge of entrepreneurship by the universities’ lecturers, inadequate fund for the program by the universities administrators as well as challenges in the area of curriculum development and implementation.
Self-reliance, self-sufficiency, self-sustainability, self-support culture and self-employment are the end point or the main point of entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship development to release the government’s unfulfilled responsibility of creating and providing employment to it citizenry. It was because of this that Evans-Obinna (2016) examined the relationship among entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship education and self-reliance in the attainment of economic development and highlighted the challenges such as inadequate funding, lack of materials, entrepreneurship teachers among others facing entrepreneurship education in Nigeria. He recommended that the Nigeria government should not only embrace the policy of setting aside 26% of its annual budget for education as suggested by UNESCO but also try and mandate its implementation.
Therefore, it should be viewed as a positive step in the right direction that the government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, has decided to make entrepreneurship education one of the required general courses for students at institutions around the nation. This is to instill a sense of independence in the young people. In addition to addressing the issues of underemployment and unemployment, this development will guarantee that people have the entrepreneurial skills necessary for the advancement of the country. It is hoped that by implementing entrepreneurial education in our postsecondary educational institutions, the universities will be better positioned to become centers of excellence by furnishing secondary and postsecondary technical laboratories.
By doing this, the nation will move closer to joining groups of countries that have combated poverty by bolstering small companies.
Statement Of The Problem
With the help of educational entrepreneurship, young people can turn possibilities into commercial endeavors and manage them to create jobs for themselves and others. According to Enu (2012), improving students’ capacity to foresee and react to society changes is the main objective of educational entrepreneurship. In other words, students are prepared to use their creativity for their own advantage and the benefit of society at large through educational entrepreneurship. Additionally, they have the authority to take charge, assume responsibility, and take chances.
Over the years, Nigeria’s development efforts have been characterized by a lack of long-term vision and a lack of continuity, consistency, and commitment (3Cs) to agreed-upon policies, programs, and projects. The ultimate result has been expansion and growth of the Nigerian economy without a corresponding improvement in the general well-being of Nigerians, or what is sometimes called “motion without movement.” Massive unemployment, poverty, and even property and life insecurity have resulted from this circumstance ( Olorundare and Kayode).
Nigeria, arguably the largest and most populous African nation is not exempted from the global challenge of unemployment especially among the youths. It has been battling with increasing rate of unemployment with resultant effects of poverty, terrorism, kidnappings, prostitution and other vices (Adegoke, 2015; Usman, 2015; Nwagwu, 2014; Uddin and Uddin, 2013, Ayansina, 2013). A number of scholars have canvassed for entrepreneurship education as the panacea for curbing unemployment especially among the youths (Okon and Friday, 2015, Efe, 2014).
In spite of the increasing recognition of entrepreneurship education as a sourse of self-employment initiative, regional development and economic dynamism in a rapidly globilizing world , there has been no systematic attempt to look at from practical skills. considerable research has been undertaken in this field EEd, from various perspectives such as government policy in encouraging entrepreneurship (e.g. seed funding), educational policies in shaping curriculum and workplace training programs to foster entrepreneurship, to name but a few . However, research has nonetheless indicated that the individual plays a primary role i.e. everything starts with the individual. Extant research illustrates the various qualities of individuals that are believed to contribute to an individual’s entrepreneurial behavior and ultimately in undertaking entrepreneurship from a business viewpoint. Findings from various studies reveal the various types of knowledge, skills and attitudes required for entrepreneurship (Bird, 2009). Furthermore, from observation it appears that despite the introduction to entrepreneurship education into our tertiary institution as a core course that students must study before the completion of their programme, it seems that the programme has not yielded its desired results.. Ever since entrepreneurship education was introduced in Nigerian universities, many graduates still remain unemployed for a long time after graduation. It appears that, the entrepreneurship education delivered to undergraduates does not meet the aims and the objectives of the course. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to examine the effect of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurial skills of final year students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko.
Concept of Entrepreneurship
Since the 16th century, the term “entrepreneurship” has been in usage. The term “entrepreneur” was derived from the French word “entrepredre,” which originally meant to organize entertainment, such as music (Gautam & Singh, 2015). The word entrepreneurship was extended to economic aspects in the 18th century. According to Seymour, (2006), the French economist Richard Cotillion is generally accredited as being the first to come up with the term in the context of what is known today as “entrepreneurship” in about 1730. The importance of entrepreneurship to society has been identified, discussed since the 15th Century (Schumpeter, 1912) and it remains topical till today.
Since academics and professionals have attempted to describe entrepreneurship in a variety of ways, there is no universally accepted definition. The term “entrepreneurship” is used extensively to refer to the imaginative and creative leadership of contemporary industrial businesses. Adejimale and Olufumilayo (2009) define it as the pursuit of opportunity regardless of resources currently controlled because it is frequently defined in relation to the functions of an entrepreneur as the man who recognizes business opportunities and uses the limited resources to use them profitably.
Innovation is the particular instrument used in entrepreneurship, which is based on an economic and social theory (Drucker 2015). According to Ayodele (2017), entrepreneurship is the practical application of innovation for socioeconomic development goals. It encompasses both the economic and social application of innovation. Since entrepreneurship is too dangerous, it should be promoted by providing some protection to lower the risk that entrepreneurs take. It is the ability and willingness to plan, organize, and oversee a commercial endeavor, including any associated risks, with the goal of turning a profit.
It is often characterized as the process of creating, establishing, and managing a new firm, which usually starts out as a startup that sells or hires out a process, product, or service. According to Hisrich and Robert (2011), it can also be described as the process by which a person (or group) finds a business opportunity, gathers and uses the resources needed to take advantage of it, such as creating a business plan, recruiting staff, obtaining material and financial resources, exercising leadership, and bearing responsibility for the venture’s success or failure. Entrepreneurship is the process of discovering new ways of combining resources.
Entrepreneurship development has been taunted as a means of stimulating economic growth through the generation of greater employment opportunities, the development of local technological base and conservation of foreign exchange earnings of national government,. The term entrepreneurship has been used by various authors to mean various things. It was perceived entrepreneurship as something being at the heart of an economic development task. Entrepreneurship is driven by the motivation of individuals who are seeking to satisfy their personal goals by creating opportunities for personal fulfillment through economic activities. The prospect at which they look at entrepreneurship was its economic function. This implies that all action directed at securing and carrying out those economic activities that satisfy personal goals can be regarded as entrepreneurship. Ayodele, 2017 describe entrepreneurship as an alternative to unemployment.
Enterpreneurship Education
Ayodele (2017) states that education is universally recognized as a form of investment in human capital, which in turn yields economic benefits and contributes to a country’s future wealth by increasing the productive capacity of its people’. She opines that high quality education is believed to be an investment in human capacity for the purpose of yielding economic benefits, enhancing efficiency and productivity of the nation’s economy. Therefore, functional education is needed for productive human capital. She also states that investment in human capital has positive effects on the supply of entrepreneurial activities and technological innovation.
Nigeria Educational Policy and Entrepreneurship
The history of Nigeria education system could be traced back to the colonial period, the educational policy then was geared toward serving the interest of the colonial masters in term of supply of manpower for their effective administration of Nigeria colony and protectorates (Aladekomo, 2004). However, the government attempted to connect the 1981 National strategy of Education to the industrial strategy and the issue of self-employment (Aladekomo 2004). Thus higher education policy as stipulated is expectedly to cater for production scientist and technologist and absolutely none was directed for self employment but for the vacant positions in government or public
Theoretical Review
Critical Evaluation of Intention Theories
Gollwitzer (1999) supported by Golwitzer and Sheeran (2006) posited that movement toward a goal initiates with a motivational stage in which costs and benefits of the goal are assessed. The motivational stage terminates with a goal intention which implies a decision of whether to express or perform the behaviour. This stage is considered closely associated with Ajzen‘s (1991) postulation of three independent determinants (i.e., attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control) and Shapero and Sokol (1982) postulation of perceived desirability and feasibility to determine a goal intention. However, Ajzen‘s (1980) theory and Shapero‘s (1982) model end here, positing that intention is a predictor of subsequent behaviour. Goal intention mostly accounts for only 20% to 30% of the variance in future behaviour (Ajzen, 1991), which is an indication that many individuals intending to perform their desired behavior may end up not achieving the goal. Therefore this may imply that many entrepreneurship students who intend to become entrepreneurs may end up not achieving their goals based on the theoretical foundations of Ajzen‘s (1980) theory of planned behavior as well as Shapero‘s (1982) theory of entrepreneurial event
Empirical review
Aladejebi (2018) show the effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intentions of students among four tertiary institutions in Nigeria: a University, Polytechnic, College of education and a satellite campus of a University. Data was gathered from 381 students from the four institutions. SPSS was used to analyze the data gathered. Findings from the study reveal that the behavioral component of the students’ attitude toward entrepreneurship education was positive. Many of the students enjoyed entrepreneurship education. Practical examples of entrepreneurship should be included more in classroom teaching. Many of the students show the intention of starting their own business when they graduate.
John , Sule, & Bassey (2012) re-examines entrepreneurship education in terms of its relevance to functionality and solving problems of students and graduates alienation after several years of schooling. The key trends in entrepreneurship education were also highlighted and particularly stressing the need for humble beginning for entrepreneurial mindset. This paper also identifies various the ways in which entrepreneurial education can be made more useful to students and the nation at large. The kernel of advocacy here is that entrepreneurship education as the key driver of an economy and should be handled by entrepreneurs. The paper therefore, articulate the need for re-invention of the Nigerian higher education to pave way for mega institutions which will in turn create access while the curriculum is equally modify and made more relevant to the needs of the students and aspirations of the nation, thereby deemphasizing paper qualification and white collar jobs
Ayodele (2017) examined the effects of entrepreneurship education and learning orientation on entrepreneurial implementation intentions of students in the first four universities in Nigeria to offer a degree in entrepreneurship. Sequential explanatory mixed method was employed using survey and semi-structured interviews as data collection methods. A total of 600 copies of questionnaire were administered. Semi structured interviews were also conducted on twenty (20) entrepreneurship educators in the selected universities. Descriptive and inferential research methods: mean and hierarchical multiple regression were used for analysis of the returned and valid copies of questionnaire completed by the respondents. Thematic analysis was also used to analyse the semi structured interviews. The results from the test of hypotheses showed that; entrepreneurship curriculum contents significantly impact on students‘ critical thinking and generation of business ideas (R2 = .063, F (2, 563) = 37.587, p ˂ .05 ; R2 = .0143, F (1, 562) = 52.706, p ˂ 0.05); entrepreneurship pedagogy significantly affect students‘ shared vision and identification of business opportunities (R2 = .177, F (2, 563) = 121.108, p ˂ .05 ; R2 = .220, F (1, 562) = 30.696, p ˂ .05). ; teaching methods in entrepreneurship significantly stimulate students‘ interest and business startups (R2 = .188, F (2, 563) = 131.580, p ˂ 0.05 : R2 = .385, F (1, 562) = 181.753, p ˂ 0.05); educator‘s competence significantly impact on students‘ commitment to learning and business plan writing( R2 = .033, F (2, 563) = 18.962, p ˂ .05 ; R2 = .122, F (1, 562) = 56.959, p ˂ .05); and university support systems significantly enhance knowledge sharing and innovations among students (R2 = .052, F (2, 563) = 30.966, p ˂ 0.05 ; R2 = .097, F (1, 562) = 27.668, p ˂ 0.05). Results from the thematic analysis validated the findings from the test of hypotheses. However, the findings of the thematic analysis also revealed that practical activities are mainly based on vocational skill acquisition and university support systems do not involve students across all levels. Based on the results from the quantitative and qualitative approach
matthew ,haruna ,ameh &maisamari (2020)Cross sectional survey research design was used. The population consisted of all the final year students of College of Education Billiri. The study sets out to lay emphasis on how entrepreneurship education can increase employment, productivity and create wealth via implementation of entrepreneurship education in all institutions and at all levels of learning in Nigeria. Three research questions were developed for the study and data was collected from 100 students using a structured questionnaire subjected to content validation by experts named Questionnaire on the impact of entrepreneurship education assessment (QOIEEA) and analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The findings showed a substantial impact of entrepreneurship education on students. The result implies that entrepreneurship education has positive impact on students as it prepares them to be self-reliant rather than job chasers.
Cseni (2017)This study assessed the state of entrepreneurship education and the impact on the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria. The study observed an insignificant correlation between the existing Nigerian educational system where entrepreneurship education is optional and restricted to only tertiary institutions and entrepreneurship development. It also observed that the withdrawal of entrepreneurship education from the nation’s tertiary educational curriculum would be of little or no effect on the efforts in curbing employment in Nigeria. The paper puts to test, the preceding assertions with the aid of Kruskal Wallis test. From the test, the paper refutes the former assertions on the reasoning that their P-values were less than 5% level of being deemed to be significant
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework of this study is premised upon the studies carried out on Entrepreneurship Education And intention of final year student in Adekunle Ajasin University Akoko Ondo State. However, with regards to this study, dependent variable is Skill Acquisition while the independent variable is Entrepreneurship Education
Source: Researcher’s computation 2025
For this study, a survey and descriptive research designs were used. Formal questionnaires were used to collect data. The population of this study comprises of Business students in the final year classes 400 Level of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko , Ondo State Nigeria totalling one hundred and thirty eight (138). The respondents were selected using a straightforward random sampling procedure. In order to reduce the sample size to a manageable size, the use of Krejce and Morgan (1970) expression adopted: Where in the population of 138, the sample size should be 103.
Descriptive Analysis
The descriptive analysis table captured the demographic characteristics of the study 0ne hundred (100) questionnaire were retrieve from the respondent
Table 4.2.1 : Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents
| Demographic Characteristics | |||||
| Frequency | Percent | Valid Percent | Cumulative Percent | ||
|
Gender |
Male | 70 | 70.0 | 70.0 | 70.0 |
| Female | 30 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 100.0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100.0 | 100.0 | ||
|
AGE GROUP |
21 – 25 | 55 | 55.0 | 55.0 | 55.0 |
| 26 – 30 | 30 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 85.0 | |
| 31and Above | 15 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 100.0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100.0 | 100.0 | ||
|
Religion |
Christian | 55 | 55.0 | 55.0 | 55.0 |
| Islam | 30 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 85.0 | |
| Others | 15 | 15.0 | 15.0 | 100.0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100.0 | 100.0 | ||
Source: field survey, 2025
The analysis in Table 4.1 indicated the socio demographic characteristics of the respondents of this study. This analysis showed that gender participation was representative as both sexes had good representation. About 70.0% (70) of the respondents were male while 30.0% (30) were female indicating that majority of the respondents were male.
In terms of age, majority of the respondents representing 55.0% (55) were within the age bracket 21-25years. For the age bracket 26-30, 30.0% (30) respondents took part. while 15.0% (15) of the sampled respondents were within the age bracket 31and above years which shows that the respondents of the study are matured enough to give correct information pertaining to the question being asked.
In terms of Religion of the respondents, Table 4.1 shows that majority 55 (55.0%) of the respondents are Christian and was closely followed by Muslim with 30(30.0%). While others were 15.0% (15) of the respondents, indicating that our respondents were religious people.
Hypotheses Of The Study
This section showed the inferential analysis of the hypothesis ; examine the effect of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurial skills of final year students of Adekunle Ajasin University.
Table 4.2.1 Effect of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurial skills of final year students of Adekunle Ajasin University
| Model | Unstandardized coefficients | Standardized coefficients
Beta |
T | Sign | Collinearity statistics | ||
| B | Std Error
|
Tolerance | VIF | ||||
| Constant
EE |
3.152
.432 |
.513
.052 |
.552
|
6.026
8.305 |
.000
.000
|
.870
|
1.531 |
| Model Statistics | |||||||
| R .416
R2 .253 Adjusted R2 .235 S. E of estimate 1.33431 F- stat 13.454 Sig (F stat) 0.000 DW stat 2.331
|
|||||||
Source: Field Survey, 2025.
a.Dependent variable ES
Predictors: (Constant), EE.
EE= Entrepreneurship Education
An inferential analysis (regression analysis) was used to test hypothesis there is no significant relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial skills.The analysis indicates the effect of entrepreneurship education on skills of entrepreneur. The results revealed that entrepreneurship Education were statistically significant to entrepreneur skills, However, the overall effect of entrepreneurship education and fresh graduate intention to acquire entrepreneurial skills was significant (F= 13.454, p<0.00).
This study examined the Effect of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurial skills of final year students of Adekunle Ajasin University, To achieve this, copies of a set of structural questionnaire were administered to one hundred and forty-six (103) respondents selected, but one hundred (100) responded to the questionnaire and were returned. Thus, after a systematic analysis of the data in accordance with the research objective and hypothesis, this study revealed that entrepreneurship education has contributed positively and significantly to the intention of final year students of Adekunle Ajasin University
.The results of the analysis indicated that entrepreneurship education encourages students to acquire entrepreneurial skills. Using regression analysis, the results revealed that there was significant relationship between entrepreneurship education and fresh graduate intention to acquire entrepreneurial skills (F= 13,454 P < 0.00).
The following recommendations were suggested on the basis of the findings of the study and the conclusion agreed upon, every Institution in Nigeria should continue to teach students the importance of entrepreneurship education and also be more involving the practical aspect of entrepreneurship class.