CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Education is the acquisition of knowledge, the aggregate of all processes through which a person develops ability, skills, attitudes and other forms of behaviour with positive value in the society in which he lives, Smiths, (2012). In the face of difficulties experienced to secure jobs among young university graduates in Nigeria, entrepreneurship education appears to be the answer to this growing problem. Entrepreneurship means setting up and running a business in a profitable and sustainable manner. Entrepreneurs innovate; discover new products, new opportunities, and start-up new ventures. Mark (2014) explains that Entrepreneurship is a key driver of our economy. Wealth and a high percentage of jobs are created by small businesses started by entrepreneurially minded individuals, many of which grow to become big businesses (Akeredolu-Ale 2015).
Entrepreneurship is the willingness and ability of an individual to seek out investment opportunities in an environment and be able to establish as well as run an enterprise successfully based on the identifiable opportunities (Akeredolu-Ale 2015). Entrepreneurship is the term used broadly in connection with the innovative and creative modern industrial and business leaders. It is often being defined by reference to the functions of an entrepreneur as the man who perceives business opportunities and taken advantage of the scarce resources to use them profitably, (Samuel, 2012). It should be stressed that not every business is entrepreneurial, but only activity that bring innovation or bring new satisfaction and new consumer demand. Entrepreneurship is a term used broadly to describe an innovative modern industrial business leader (Akpomi 2013). He/she has been described as the person who perceives business opportunities and uses the scarce resources available to take advantage of them. It is entrepreneur alone who bears the non-insurable risks in his enterprise and it is he/she who directs the human and materials resources in business legal goals.
Entrepreneurship Education is a lifelong learning process, starting as early as at elementary school and progressing through all levels of education (Curran, 2016). It focuses on developing understanding and capacity for pursuit of entrepreneurial behaviour. Entrepreneurial forces are relatively strong in this country, as the lack of jobs and a rise in poverty leave few other options for the Nigerian people. This is usually difficult as a result of lack of resources, but some non-profit making organizations in Nigeria are dedicated to promote entrepreneurship, (Milian, 2014). This has become necessary because year in year out, most university graduates wander about after graduation thinking of what next to do. This is so because the jobs for which they have spent the better part of their lives acquiring knowledge and skills are virtually non-existent (Fasasi and Etejere, 2011). Though, the Federal and State Governments have been working hard in the area of job creation, but the over 2 million job spaces said to be created yearly have not accommodated the large number of graduates. Some of them stay without jobs even in their mid-thirties and some settle for the informal sector in very poor conditions (Babalola, 2015). It is the desire of every society to achieve a sustainable level of economic development. This could be possible through embarking on entrepreneurial activities by the citizens of the society. This is because the public sector cannot single-handedly drive in the desired level of development.
Furthermore, the success of a society in entrepreneurship depends on skills (education) acquired by the entrepreneurs. This owes to the fact that education leads to creativity. Education also equips a person with relevant skills which would lead him to better performance in his chosen career.
The ubiquitous armies of unemployed university graduates, regrettably, do not have the requisite skills and experiences for entrepreneurship in the country. This unsavoury and startling revelation forced the Yaraduah administration, which included wealth creation as the number three item of its Seven-Point Agenda, to embrace entrepreneurship as a panacea. Melad (2011) said education was noted as a vehicle for the entrepreneurial skills acquisition in Nigeria. Naturally, the Federal Government turned to the National Universities Commission, NUC, for solution. Consequently, the NUC directed the universities in the country to commence entrepreneurship education. In an address at a conference on effective implementation of the Yaraduah Administration Seven-Point Agenda, Okojie, the Executive Secretary of the NUC, stated that the universities were encouraged to commence entrepreneurial education in order to equip their students with the skills that would make them useful to themselves and the country generally.
The Commission, through the Department of Student Support Services, is working out strategies of encouraging the universities to establish entrepreneurship studies, career advisory services and reduce crimes like examination malpractices, decadence in moral values, cultism and other social vices within the campus. Other areas of prime importance are of addressing graduate unemployment, poverty reduction and wealth creation through skills acquisition, (Okojie, 2011).
Related to the above is the directive of the Federal Government to all higher education institutions in the country to run entrepreneurship studies programme as a compulsory course for all students irrespective of their disciplines with effect from 2007/2008 academic session, and the Commission to coordinate and ensure compliance (Okojie, 2009). Pursuant to the above directive, the Federal Government set up a Presidential Committee on the implementation of entrepreneurship education with a broad based membership drawing from NUC, National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, Education Trust Fund, ETF, ILo, UNESCO and the Hamitle Consult, a consulting firm on entrepreneurship education in the country with the NUC as a coordinating agency.
Hence, this study intends to examine the impact of entrepreneurship education as tools for self-sustenance in College of Education, in Lagos state.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Education and training for entrepreneurship is coming up and it is going to take a larger dimension in Nigeria. People need to be exposed to complete entrepreneurship education courses that will assist to develop entrepreneurial ability of Nigerians, reduce entrepreneurs’ ignorance and increase the survival rate of newly established enterprises. Such training is organized by Centre for Management and Development. Individual management consultants also organize seminars and workshops on planning and implementation of entrepreneurship education.
In Nigeria, colleges, polytechnics and universities have started fostering entrepreneurship spirit of students by offering entrepreneurship courses and promote cooperation between the industries and universities. In spite of the realization that technical vocational education are indispensable to rapid and sustainable development, various research have shown that there is inadequate basic infrastructure, poor quality manpower, poor students environment in these areas, inadequate opportunities for recipients of technical education and inadequate funding.
In Nigeria, Aladekomo (2013) opined that entrepreneurship education was not in practice in the tertiary institutions because the education policies have always prepared the citizens for paid employment. He also said that traces of entrepreneurship education came into Nigeria in 1999 through the centre for Industrial Research and Development (CIRD) which collaborated with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE). This resulted to the introduction of entrepreneurship education as elective/general studies courses in some Nigerian universities. What is not clear is whether it has been given a major status in programmes of Nigerian tertiary institutions. Arising from this, the researcher decided to carry out this study to ascertain if entrepreneurship education can create job for graduates. Thus, this study intends to investigate impact of entrepreneurship education as tools for self-sustenance in College of Education, in Lagos state.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The general purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of entrepreneurship education as tools for self-sustenance in College of Education, Lagos state. The study intends to specifically;
1. Find out the relationship between entrepreneurship education and self-sustenance of graduates in College of Education.
2. Ascertain the relationship between entrepreneurial skill acquisition and self-reliance of graduates in College of Education.
3. Determine the relationship between students’ abilities in business-oriented ventures and self-reliance of graduates in College of Education.
4. examine the relationship between societal economic challenges and self-sustenance of graduates in College of Education.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:
1. What is the relationship between entrepreneurship education and self-sustenance of graduates in College of Education?
2. What is the relationship between entrepreneurial skill acquisition and self-reliance of graduates in College of Education?
3. What is the relationship between students’ abilities in business-oriented ventures and self-reliance of graduates in College of Education?
4. What is the relationship between societal economic challenges and self-sustenance of graduates in College of Education?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following hypotheses were developed from the research questions:
1. There is no significance relationship between entrepreneurship education and self-sustenance of graduates in College of Education.
2. There is no significance relationship between entrepreneurial skill acquisition and self-reliance of graduates in College of Education.
3. There is no significance relationship between students’ abilities in business-oriented ventures and self-reliance of graduates in College of Education,
4. There is no significance relationship between societal economic challenges and self-sustenance of graduates in College of Education.
1.6 Significance of the Study
Findings from this study will be significant to students, lecturers, curriculum planners, ministry of education and the society at large. To the students, the effective use of knowledge of entrepreneurship education will enable them to get self-employed after their graduation. The use of entrepreneurship education will give the learner opportunity to venture into various businesses. Consequently, knowledge passed unto the students at entrepreneurship education should be well planned and properly allied with relevant business opportunities.
The study would be useful to Nigerian lecturers in improving their knowledge of entrepreneurship education.
The curriculum planner will not be left out of the beneficiary of the study. In the sense that, they could map out the curriculum considering the relevance of entrepreneurship education. The study will also serve also as an eye-opener to the government in making policies that would favor entrepreneur education in higher institution.
Similarly, the study will motivate the parents and guardians to invest more in the entrepreneurial education of their children or wards.
Finally, the study will dwell much on the significance and numerous benefits embedded in entrepreneurship education. Thus will stir up the general public to welcome and accept entrepreneurial education in all views.
1.7 Scope of the Study
This study was limited to graduates of College of Education in Lagos state.
1.8 Definition of Terms
The following terms were operationally defined in this study:
Unemployment: the number of people in a particular country or area who cannot get a job
Entrepreneur: someone who starts a new business or arranges business deals in order to make money, often in a way that involves financial risks
Lecturer: someone who gives lectures, especially in a university
Students: someone who is studying at a university, school etc
Entrepreneurship Education: Entrepreneurship education is defined as any program or process of education targeted at motivating entrepreneurial actions and behaviour.
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