Cite this article as: Mohammed, M.N. & Itopa, I.J. (2023). Reinvigorating Entrepreneurship Education for Nation Building: Issues and Challenges. Zamfara International Journal of Humanities, (2)2, 104-110. www.doi.org/10.36349/zamijoh.2023.v02i02.012.
Reinvigorating
Entrepreneurship Education for Nation Building: Issues and Challenges
By
Munirat Nma
Mohammed, PhD
Department of
Business Administration and Management
Federal
Polytechnic Nasarawa
Email: mohammedmunirat@gmail.com (08065774123)
&
Ibrahim Jafaru
Itopa
Department of
Marketing
Federal
Polytechnic Nasarawa
Itopajeff40@gmail.com / 08036551153
Abstract
Nation Building implies a wholesome progression towards the
model in all aspects of a nation’s socio- political, economic, and educational
infrastructure, more so in its spiritual and moral structure. Entrepreneurial
education is that aspect of education which is geared towards the collections
of formalized teaching that informs trains and educates anyone interested in
participating in socio-economic development through a project to promote
entrepreneurship awareness, business creation or small business development. It
is against this backdrop that this research article dwelled on reinvigorating
entrepreneurship education for nation building: issues and challenges. Entrepreneurship
is fundamental to socio-economic growth and national development. It
encompasses the ability of people to find and create new businesses or
revitalize existing ones. Part of the objectives of this research article is to
challenge students to develop entrepreneurial spirit that could lead to
economic rationality for nation building. We use secondary sources of gathering
data for this research article. On the whole, the article discovered so many
challenges and issues militating against entrepreneurial education in Nigeria.
The research work concludes among other things that, for functional
entrepreneurial education to be achieved there should be some forms of genuine
school-work based learning incorporated in studies as part of national economy
development strategies.
Keywords: Entrepreneurial Education, Nation Building, and
Reinvigorating
Introduction
Several efforts
have however, been made after independence to restructure the curriculum
through the introduction of 6-3-34 structure which include pre-vocational
subjects at the junior secondary schools. Thus, for education to be functional,
it must not only provide cognitive and affective development but must also make
the citizens to acquire some basic skills. This is to say, that a functional
education equips the individuals with the requisite skills and knowledge to
function maximally in the society in which they belong. It is a pre-requisite
for social change and meaningful national development. Functional education
must also provide people a vocation and instead of creating a pool of job
seekers. It must also be able to develop a pool of job creators who could even
be self-employing. In the words of Odayemi, (2008), functional education is
that aspect of education which comes from the child’s needs and that uses the
child’s interest as a mechanism for activating him towards his desirable
activities. Therefore , the primary and junior secondary curricula are being
reviewed to refocus the system to functionalism by the introduction of local
craft, primary science, business studies, introductory technology, ICT
education and woodwork, hence the new concept of entrepreneurial education.
Thus, the main
focus of this research article is to reinvigorate entrepreneurial education for
nation building. Entrepreneurial education is that aspect of education which is
geared towards the collections of formalized teaching that informs trains and educates
anyone interested in participating in socio-economic development through a
project to promote entrepreneurship awareness, business creation or small
business development, Bechard and Tolouse, (1998). The duo further buttress
that entrepreneurial education focuses on combining and carrying out a new
combination of business elements while education for business ownership for
business focuses on the skills needed to produce or acquire an existing
business. This means that entrepreneurship education seeks to provide students
with knowledge, skills and motivation to encourage entrepreneurial success in
variety of settings. It also seeks to prepare people, particularly the youth to
be responsible enterprising individuals who become entrepreneurial thinkers by
exposing them to real life learning experiences where they can take risk s,
manage the results and learn from the outcome. Therefore, the present article
is geared towards reinvigorating entrepreneurship education for the purpose of
nation building with focus on Nigeria state
Statement of the Study
No doubt,
entrepreneurship education equips people with the knowledge and skills with
which they can establish and run their businesses or ventures effectively and
efficiently thereby creating employment and reducing poverty. However,
entrepreneurship education in Nigeria is faced with some challenges. Therefore,
the current study aims at bringing to the fore the need to reinvigorate
entrepreneurial education as well as identify the challenges facing the success
smooth and successful operation of entrepreneurial education in Nigeria for nation
building.
Aim and Objectives
Educational goals
are set for the purpose of development; and education as a phenomenon plays a
very vital role on the ladder of development of a nation. It advances the
wellbeing of the individual in the society as a whole. The type of education a
society imparts on its citizenry must not only be realistic, but must also be
relevant to what is needed for the development of the society at a particular
point in time.
Therefore, this
current study is aimed at achieving the following objectives:
i.
To challenge students to develop
entrepreneurial spirit that could lead to economic rationality for nation
building.
ii.
To identify the issues and challenges
faced by the introduction of entrepreneurial education in Nigeria
iii.
To create awareness in students that
lack knowledge of entrepreneurial spirit that will lead to nation building
Research Questions
i.
What are the challenges that hinder the
development of entrepreneurial spirit that could lead to economic rationality
for nation building?
ii.
What are the issues and challenges
faced by the introduction of entrepreneurial education in Nigeria?
iii.
How do we create awareness in students
that lack knowledge of entrepreneurial spirit that will lead to nation
building?
Literature Review and Conceptual Clarifications
a.
National Building: Conceptualization
Nation building as
described by Sani (1994) is that which gives rise to accelerated growth and all
round development of members of the polity. It is an all-encompassing process
involving both national development and national integration. Beside qualitative
improvement in economic and social life, concertizing and gallivanting
Nigerians to seek to be good citizens and inculcating in our youth a national
consciousness and faith in one Nigeria and her true greatness enthrone nation
building. Part of the ingredients that are needed in nation building, according
to Yusuf (1994), is understanding and cooperation occasioned by language.
Obviously, there is power in language (speech). If someone speaks to you in
language you understand, you will certainly do the right thing. This explains
very vividly the position of linguistics in nation building. The essence of
understanding a scientific study of language is to achieve finer and improved
human communication. Individual communicative ability, according to Oloruntoba-Oju,
(1994) “reverberates on aspects of national development and nation building…”
He explains further:
The
gigantic advancement that human community has made in the area of science,
technology and sociology are direct result of communication at this deep level
of intellectual engagement…. Above all, communication is the building block of
nation (109-110),
It is crystal
clear that the role of entrepreneurial education in nation building has been
well and undeniably established in literature Saidu and Muhammad, (2010).
Nations are endowed differently and unless these natural resources are fully
tapped, they are useless. Abubakar (1998) argued that ‘unless resources is
adequately and properly oriented to ensure effective participation of all
members of a given society towards proper exploitation of and utilization of
the domestic material resources which could be harness through proper and
effective entrepreneurial education.
b.
What is Entrepreneurship Education?
It has been widely
acknowledged that education is a dependable instrument for achieving
socio-economic growth and national development. This is largely due to the fact
that it is through well planned and implemented educational systems that the
developed countries of the world have achieved their remarkable level of
social, economic, scientific and technological advancement. It is in
recognition of this fact that conceptualized education as the key of solid
development of the individual for the acquisition of competencies necessary for
maximum self-development national development. Indeed, Gottleid and Ross (1997)
see entrepreneurial education in term of creativity and innovation applied to
social, governmental and business area. Entrepreneurial education therefore
could also be viewed in terms of the skills that can be taught and
characteristics that could be engendered in the students that can help them
develop new innovative plan.
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. It is he alone
who bears the non-insurable risks in his enterprise, and it is he who directs
the human and material resources in his business objective (Akinbode, 2009).
The recent global financial crises, in addition to the prevalent economic woes
of Nigeria, compelled the Federal Government to formally adopt Small and Medium
Enterprises, SMEs, as the engine of the country’s economic recovery and
re-engineering for national transformation. Entrepreneurship is therefore
fundamental to socio-economic growth and national development. It encompasses
the ability of people to find and create new businesses or revitalize existing
ones. In recent times, there has been an appreciable attention to the provision
of entrepreneurship education in Nigeria’s tertiary education institutions.
This is in response to the realization of the strategic role of
entrepreneurship in socio-economic and national development as evidenced in its
capacity for job creation, self-reliance and poverty alleviation.
c.
Reinvigorating Entrepreneurial Education
In the words of
Akpomi (2009), entrepreneur has been described as the one who starts an
enterprise; the one who puts new forms of industry on their feet; the one who
shoulders the risks and uncertainty of using economic resources in a new way;
and the one with the right motivation, energy, and ability to build something
by his or her own efforts. He went further to point out that quality of
instructions at all levels have to be oriented towards inculcating the values
of acquisition of competencies necessary for self-reliance and reducing
poverty. The identity of a true entrepreneur is characterized by three
attributes: the recognition of market opportunity and the generation of a
business idea (service or product) to address the opportunity; the marshaling
and commitment of resources in the face of risk to pursue the motivated
business idea, Salhman and Srevenson, (1992). Thus, recognition of opportunity
is the cornerstone of the entrepreneurship process, having distilled an
opportunity without any assurance of outcome or rewards which is in the
presence of risk. The entrepreneur must also be committed enough to the
prospect and the passion of the opportunity to be willing to invest some of
his/ her personal reputation and resources and must be able to secure from
others key investment including time, knowledge, energy, reputation, and
capital- all in the absence of any guarantees of success.
The fundamental
goal of entrepreneurship education is to equip the participants with the
knowledge, skills, are competencies for embarking on entrepreneurial endeavors
in a variety of economic settings. In support of this viewpoint, the observed
that entrepreneurship education is designed to teach on the skill and knowledge
he or she needs for establishing and running new business venture. This is why
it becomes imperative for creating enabling environment for functional
entrepreneurial education in Nigeria. However, it is not worthy that
entrepreneurship education has in recent times received appreciable attention
from the Federal Government of Nigeria. This statement is from the realization
that education is a potent tool for the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills
in Nigeria. It has been established by successive administrations in Nigeria,
that institutions of high learning, especially the universities and
polytechnics and other vocational institutions should commence entrepreneurship
education as a vehicle for equipping Nigeria undergraduates and youth with
entrepreneurial knowledge and skills required for job creation and self
-reliance upon graduation.
Methodology
By methodology we
refer to what goes on in the workshop or entrepreneurship centres, to what the
students have to do. This has implications for what the instructor has to do.
In any case, this is very important to the overall success of the entrepreneurship
education program. It is of course apparent, that entrepreneurship is not
itself a methodology, neither is it allied to or associated with any particular
teaching techniques. However, the marching of the teaching to the learners’
needs also extends freedom to innovation in methodological term is the core
value of entrepreneurial education. Taking solace from Piotrowski (1982) as
cited in Saidu and Audu, (2011), in describing the use of the case method with
business people, states that the addition to leading class discussions on the
cases (which he or she will have previously selected and prepared), the instructor
will also act as a consultant. This involves diagnosing each participant’s language
and communication needs, discussing these with each participant and planning
individual programmes for improvement in entrepreneurial education classrooms.
The Role of Entrepreneurship in Nation Building
Nation Building
implies a wholesome progression towards the ideal in all aspects of a nation’s
socio- political, economic, and educational infrastructure, more so in its
spiritual and moral structure. The fundamental role of entrepreneurship to a
nation building like Nigeria is to achieve economic development. Economic
development is the process of structural transformation of an economy towards a
modern technologically advanced economy based on the availability of social and
infrastructural amenities. Other roles of entrepreneurial in nation building
include:
1. It enables individual, small or large scale firms and even
public firms to use their potentials and energies to create wealth,
independence and status for themselves in the society. This means, successful
business people in Nigeria uplift the dignity of labour.
2. It creates jobs through the formation of new enterprises,
whether small, medium or large scale enterprises.
3. Entrepreneurs harness resources that might otherwise remain
idle and put them into proper or productive use for overall economic
development of the economy of a nation. They promote the development of
indigenous manpower as well as increase local participation in the
manufacturing sector of the economy.
4. It has potential ability to raise productivity through
various innovative ideas, and technological know-how contributed to the
economic development of a society.
Results and Discussions
On the first
objective of the study which is aimed at challenge the students to develop
entrepreneurial spirit that could lead to economic rationality for nation
building. Indeed, It is an obvious fact that there is a gradual and unfortunate
collapse of educational standard in virtually all our institution of learning,
ranging from the primary schools to the universities. The problems experienced
in the educational system in Nigeria are multiple. They include deficient
curriculum or poor planning, inadequate funding, inadequate training of
teachers, proliferation of schools, lack of motivation on the part of the
students and examination malpractices. All these problems have led to the
regrettable decay and rot we are witnessing in the educational sector today. Therefore,
the only way the nation can be freed from this bondage of underdevelopment is
through the creation of entrepreneurial education. We also need to create the
spirit of entrepreneurial skills in our teeming students across all levels of
educational institution.
On the second
objective of the study which is to identify the issues and challenges faced by
the introduction of entrepreneurial education in Nigeria. The idea is if a
system experiences rot and decay, we do not have to expect any meaningful
development from it. The inevitable consequence of this sad situation is that
the youth are no longer adequately motivated to pursue a sound educational
carrier. They are left to drift and focus their attention on evils’ alternative
that includes the continuous assessment of pornographic materials on the
internet and making of endless phone calls or engagement of themselves in
crimes. Regrettably, instructional materials used in teaching entrepreneurship
education in Nigeria are not adequate to address modern trends of skill
acquisition in the society. There are lacks of quality entrepreneurial test
books in Nigerians schools even the teaching methods in use does not suit the
practical aspect of entrepreneurial education. Incompetence of teachers’
Entrepreneurial education is expected to prepare learners to be creative and
productive citizens and nation builders, therefore; teachers implementing the
curriculum in the classroom are supposed to be competent in different skills
and delivery methods. A learner can only be creative and productive when guided
by experts who possess practical skills. Tertiary education institutions in
Nigeria do not have enough qualified lecturers to successfully implement the
entrepreneurship education curriculum. The lecturers that impart entrepreneurship
knowledge and skills to students were drawn from pre-existing departments and
faculty and they were not specially groomed for entrepreneurship education.
This inimical
situation posse serious challenges to the successful implementation of the new
entrepreneurship education curriculum as observed that the success of any
innovative programme in the curriculum of any educational institution hinges on
the ability of the teachers to implement the innovation. Inadequacy of
Infrastructural Facilities and Equipment is another challenge. The
infrastructural facilities and equipment in Nigeria’s educational instructions
are grossly inadequate while the available ones are in poor and deplorable
state thereby making the delivery of entrepreneurship education difficult.
These infrastructural facilities and equipment include, among others, the fixed
and mobile structures and materials in the school such as the classroom building,
offices, laboratories and laboratory equipment, the school furniture, the
chalkboards, tools and machines, the chalk, audio and visual aids which are
used to enhance teaching and learning processes. The adequacy of
infrastructural facilities and equipment ensure effective and efficient
delivery of the entrepreneurship education curriculum and are positively
related to the achievement of its goals. Indeed, learning takes place better
and faster in a school environment with adequate provision of buildings,
classrooms, accommodations, furniture etc.
On the third
objective which is to create awareness in students that lack knowledge of
entrepreneurial spirit that will lead to nation building. Despite government
efforts in enhancing entrepreneurial education, it is still perceived as the
form of education for under privileged children. Though high level of
unemployment cum insecurity should have changed this attitude, but Nigerians
still prefer general education. Therefore, we all need to be involved I
creating awareness among our youth that entrepreneurial education is key to
socioeconomic emancipation of our people. When someone is self-reliance, he
gets whatever he want and live a happy live.
Conclusion and Recommendations
For functional
entrepreneurial education to be achieved there should be some form of genuine
school-work based learning incorporated in some studies as part of national
economy development strategies. Adequate Funding Availability of fund in every
educational programme is a critical factor in achieving functionality of such
programme. The unavailability of fund to our schools makes the cry for
entrepreneurial education to be on paper than practices. Well founded
entrepreneurial education program will no doubt equip the schools with adequate
facilities needed for efficiency of the subject and achieving the stipulated
objectives of entrepreneurial education thereby eradicating insurgence of
insecurity.
The study
therefore puts the following recommendations:
1. Government should provide enough funds by increasing
allocation to schools to enable them mount functional and effective
entrepreneurial centres in every institution.
2. Proprietors of private institutions should also seek for
alternative means of funds through sponsorship and partnership with industries,
NGOs and philanthropists to enable them compete favourably with government
owned institution.
3. Government alone cannot fund functional entrepreneurial
education as it demand for incorporation of different experts from varying
skills. Therefore, both public and private funds should be pulled to finance
the high cost of inviting artisans into formal teaching process
4. Development of internship programmes Skill learning is more
of practical than theory; students from time to time should be marched with
local successful entrepreneurs with sound educational background who will
mentor them. To enhance economic efficiency, self-empowerment and acquisition
of useful skills, learners should be made to pass through an expert who will
mentor him/her under the supervision of the school.
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