Entrepreneurial Development as a Panacea to Graduate Unemployment in Nigeria

Carl Madawa Seiyaibo

doi:10.4236/ojbm.2020.84113

Abstract

This study empirically examines the concept of Entrepreneurial Development as a panacea to graduate unemployment in Nigeria, adopting the multi-stage sampling technique; primary data were obtained from 360 respondents comprising lecturers and students of Niger Delta University Amassoma, Bayelsa State Nigeria, by means of structured questionnaires. Data reliability, testing and analysis were conducted using Cronbach’s Alpha and Chi-square statistical tools respectively, The study revealed a positive and significant relationship between the development of adequate entrepreneurship curricula in Nigeria tertiary institutions and the production of innovative entrepreneurs, equally, the study suggests that the teaching of entrepreneurship courses in tertiary institutions is positively correlated with the development of self-sufficient graduates who possess employability attributes which invariably culminates in overall economic development. Thus, it is recommended that government in conjunction with the management of tertiary institutions should fashion out sustainable policies and programmes to inculcate and promote entrepreneurship education into the consciousness of the teeming undergraduates.

Highlights

Over the years Nigeria has experienced an upsurge in graduate unemployment occasioned by the economic recession witnessed between 2017 to the second quarter of 2018, the economic downtown triggered several corporate collapses and the few surviving firms resorted to massive job cuts and downsizing which inevitably threw several youths into the labour market
This study empirically examines the concept of Entrepreneurial Development as a panacea to graduate unemployment in Nigeria, adopting the multi-stage sampling technique; primary data were obtained from 360 respondents comprising lecturers and students of Niger Delta University Amassoma, Bayelsa State Nigeria, by means of structured questionnaires
Data reliability, testing and analysis were conducted using Cronbach’s Alpha and Chi-square statistical tools respectively, The study revealed a positive and significant relationship between the development of adequate entrepreneurship curricula in Nigeria tertiary institutions and the production of innovative entrepreneurs, the study suggests that the teaching of entrepreneurship courses in tertiary institutions is positively correlated with the development of self-sufficient graduates who possess employability attributes which invariably culminates in overall economic development

Summary

Introduction

Over the years Nigeria has experienced an upsurge in graduate unemployment occasioned by the economic recession witnessed between 2017 to the second quarter of 2018, the economic downtown triggered several corporate collapses and the few surviving firms resorted to massive job cuts and downsizing which inevitably threw several youths into the labour market. In a bid to correct this anomaly, the Federal Government of Nigeria in conjunction with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment inaugurated a programme tagged “University Entrepreneurship Development Programme” (UNEDEP) whose objective was basically to promote self-employment among the youth right from the institutions of higher learning (Olusegun, 2013) It had the support of the Federal Ministry of Education and the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (SMEDAN) in the implementation of the UNEDEP project to enhance and re-orientate the values of undergraduates, and provide a mentoring platform for students and reducing poverty and youth unemployment (Olusegun, 2013)

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion