ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AS A TOOL FOR REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA A CASE STUDY OF IGNATIUS AJURU UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

ABSTRACT
Nigeria has recently been experiencing the problem of unemployment in spite there are a lot of students who graduated from various institutions but still their claims went to the government. This study was conducted in Ignatius Ajuru University Of Education, the study involved a total of seventy three (73) of respondents, and ten (10) entrepreneurship training centers.

A case study, designing was used while qualitative research approach dominated the entire study. The study aimed at exploring the role of entrepreneurship education in reduction of unemployment in Nigeria.

Findings from this study have revealed that, Entrepreneurship Education centers had a contribution to the people because it helped in reducing unemployment, encouraged self employment and it prepared youths to be self-reliant and competitive into labor market of Nigeria. Respondents were continuing students, ex-students, education officers and trainers;

It is therefore recommended that, the government should increase the number of entrepreneurship education and training centers, and putting all the required needs like trainers, materials and hostels, in order to increase motivation to students to study. The research also, should focus to find out on how and what to be done to improve entrepreneurship education training centers and how to ensure ex-students after finishing from centers would be to take funds and loans by reducing regulation in order for these students to be self employed.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
On attainment of independence in 1960, Nigeria was faced with the problem of social and economic development problems. Also there was the need to develop all aspects of education in the country. Entrepreneurship and technical education was one of those aspects expected to build up the nation to reduce joblessness among youths. As indicated by Nnanna, (2012), in an offer to develop Nigeria and tackle the issues of unemployment, numerous commissions were set up to analyze the educational and manpower prerequisites in various divisions of the economy. Such reports was the Ashby commission titled “Investment in Education” in 1960 and Cottiers/Caunce report on the development of technical and commercial education below professional level between 1961- 1976. The Ashby commission report suggested measures which would help to establish the foundation upon which Nigeria could build a balanced system of entrepreneurship/technical education. He was of the opinion that technicians were grossly in short supply, and that facilities for training them were inadequate. In a related manner Cottiers/Caunce report noted with dissatisfaction, the absence of national survey to ascertain from industries, the nature and extent of the educational needs for the planning and administration for the entrepreneurship education system. The report additionally revealed that since firms do not stay static, such overview must be nonstop with the goal that mechanical innovation will reflect in the entrepreneurship education curriculum. The important aspect of the report was the recognition of the fact that there was need to develop and increase entrepreneurship and technical education in Nigeria. And this informed the establishment of National Directorate of Employment (NDE), by Decree No, 24 of 1989, to train young people on entrepreneurship education and skill acquisition, with the aim to reduce unemployment (Amoor, 2009).

According to the National Policy on Education of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004), entrepreneurship education is that aspect of education that leads to the acquisition of practical and applied skills as well as basic scientific knowledge. Entrepreneurship and technical education is directed towards the preparation for occupational life, since the recipients are equipped to face the challenges of the world of work for national development. In a related way, Okonkwo and Obinali, (2012) attested that the objective of entrepreneurship education and training is to influence the fundamental practical skills, potential, work propensities, attitudes and different qualities to the beneficiaries. This is aimed at preparing the students for self reliance through self-employment. In confirmation of this assertion, Odugbesan (1995) noticed that entrepreneurship education furnishes the beneficiaries with all the important work qualities, pragmatic skills and abilities, knowledge and attitude to empower them live independently after graduation. In most developed nations of the world, entrepreneurship education and training are given an intense consideration and are viewed as an important investment. This is the reason many youths through entrepreneurship training have acquired the right skills that will enable them secure employment which at the long run benefit them and the society.

On contrary, the poor state of entrepreneurship education and training in Nigeria started right from the educational foundation instituted by the colonial government which paid more emphasis on training students for white collar jobs but paid little or no attention to entrepreneurship education and training. Entrepreneurship education and training promotes self reliant among the students on graduation. Unfortunately, after numerous years of independent, Nigeria despite everything is still practicing the pre-independent type of education, which just prepare graduates to look for civil service and other related employments, in spite establishment of specialized institutions such as universities of technology and polytechnics which is yet to produce the required result to address this issues.

Presently, there are 125 technical/entrepreneurship centres in the Nigeria (www.everyculture.com/-/nigeria.html) which is not adequate compared to the increasing population of Nigeria estimated at 170 million. These few entrepreneurship centres cannot produce enough skilled manpower to reduce the increasing unemployed people in Nigeria. Nnanna (2002) noticed that, Government of different administrations, have endeavored to improve educational delivery particularly as it identifies with entrepreneurship and technical education. This is because of the recognition of the role which entrepreneurship education and training would play in the development of the country, by a way of reducing unemployment and youth restiveness in Nigeria. Hence, the degree to which entrepreneurship education and training shows in reducing unemployment in Nigeria forms the basis of this study.

1.2 Statement of the Problem
Poverty reduction or income generation is significant in the lives of the young people after degree education. The inquiries along these lines are: what is the expectation of Nigeria youths after their degree education? Do they truly find their potentials and capabilities having scaled through the degree education? What at that point would we be able to state are the contributions of Nigeria tertiary educational institutions to the reduction of youths unemployment in the nation? It is important; to learn the power of Nigerian higher education for poverty reduction among the young people and to proffer that Technical and Entrepreneurship Education is one of the measures for improvement and supportability of youth empowerment.

1.3 Objectives of the Study
1.3.1 General Objectives
To find out, the role of entrepreneurship education in reduction of unemployment in Nigeria: A case of study of Rivers State.

1.3.2 Specific Objective
1. To examine the relevance of knowledge and skills and skills acquired by students, from Entrepreneurship Education, centers in enhancing self-employment.

2. To assess how entrepreneurship education could tackle problems of unemployment in Nigeria.

3. To explore challenges, facing entrepreneurship education center in the provisional of relevant knowledge and skills, for enhancing self-employment in Nigeria

1.4 Research Question
1. What contributes to the enhancing of self-employment in acquiring knowledge?

2. To what extent, does entrepreneurship education could tackle the problem of unemployment?

3. What are the challenges facing entrepreneurship education in Nigeria?

1.6 Significance of the Study
Unemployment as the term implies, has been a major problem experienced all over the country. Some youths hardly know that entrepreneurship and technical education can enhance the rate of employment in the country as well as the well being of themselves and the society. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find out how entrepreneurship and technical education can be of help in addressing youth unemployment in Nigeria. It seeks to assess how the training and skills acquired in entrepreneurship/technical education can provide the necessary platform to promote entrepreneurship as well as reduce unemployment. It is believed that entrepreneurship/technical education holds the key to national development. How can the youth be empowered to acquire skills and ideas to reduce the present mismatch between labour demands and employability of Nigerian youths. This study seeks to define the concept of entrepreneurship and technical education, examine some of the factors that promote unemployment, assess government efforts at reducing unemployment and the potential impact of entrepreneurship and technical education in promoting entrepreneurship. It concludes by proposing some strategies that can sustain an entrepreneurial culture and reduction in youth unemployment.

However, this study will be very beneficial to the youths, also to the state and federal government, as it is aimed at ascertaining the importance of entrepreneurship and technical education and how it serves as a source of employment and self reliance for the individuals of the society with reference to the youths in particular.

1.7 Scope of the Study
The study is to cover relevant areas as regarded the contribution of entrepreneurship and technical education to the overall improvement of unemployment in the society. The study was carried in Ignatius Ajuru University Of Education.

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Item Type: Project Material  |  Size: 75 pages  |  Chapters: 1-5
Format: MS Word  |  Delivery: Within 30Mins.
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