Nigeria has long struggled with youth unemployment, which is why officials are pushing entrepreneurial Education as a possible remedy. All undergraduates in Nigerian institutions are required to take an entrepreneurship course, which was instituted in 2006 with the goal of encouraging self-employment and lowering dependency on official employment. Nigeria’s Unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2024 was 5.3%, which is comparable to the 5.1% global average. In order to combat youth unemployment, researchers believe that entrepreneurial education is essential. For the past eighteen years, entrepreneurship has been taught in Nigerian universities; nevertheless, scant research has been done to assess its effects.
According to a more thorough study that included more than 12,000 Nigerian students from various colleges, entrepreneurship courses had a significant initial impact but have since lost some of their usefulness. For example, by 2021, just 82% of students expressed interest in launching their own firms, down from 89% in 2007. Notably, student engagement declined at early adopters of the course while it increased at colleges that subsequently implemented it. The waning effect points to the necessity of ongoing policy review and enhancement.
Youths express Decline in entrepreneurship interest.
Inconsistent monitoring by institutions and the National institutions Commission, as well as uneven teaching quality, were also noted in the report. Cumulative, persistent, instantaneous, and consistent are the four categories of policy effects that the research introduced to assess the efficacy of policies throughout time. The policy’s declining effectiveness is attributed in large part to the absence of continuous assessment and modification. To make sure the policy stays applicable and efficient, the paper promotes a more thorough, long-term evaluation process akin to the one Finland uses.
The gradual decline in interest in entrepreneurship is noteworthy because it suggests possible weaknesses in the policy’s long-term efficacy in entrepreneurship education. The fact that student engagement has decreased, despite the program’s initial success in igniting interest, raises the possibility that the Curriculum is not adapting to the changing demands of the labour market or pupils. Deeper problems, such a lack of mentorship or practical support, could also be the cause, preventing students from acting on their entrepreneurial desire.
Certain challenges hinder the success of entrepreneurial ed.
Despite the difficulties, there have been some noteworthy achievements. A number of alumni from Nigerian institutions have gone on to establish successful companies that help create jobs. Covenant University’s entrepreneurship programs, for example, have a reputation for producing prosperous student entrepreneurs. Nigeria should take a cue from Finland, whose Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) use “enhancement-led evaluation” to make educational programs better over time. Finland’s system, for instance, regularly solicits input from students, instructors, and business leaders to make sure that courses meet the needs of the labour market.
This strategy has resulted in ongoing improvements to teaching strategies, which sustains student interest. Nigeria may implement a similar approach by incorporating business executives in the development of entrepreneurship courses and by creating frequent, organised feedback loops between institutions and their graduates to guarantee that the instruction they receive is applicable and useful. A more complete picture of the efficacy of entrepreneurship education would come from the viewpoints of students, policymakers, and university lecturers. Insufficient funding and insufficient training for educators have been identified by several lecturers as significant challenges.
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To guarantee the effectiveness of the strategy, however, authorities like Dr. Salisu Suleiman of the National Universities Commission stress the necessity of improved monitoring and assessment systems. Adaora Nwachukwu, an undergraduate at the University of Lagos, was among the students who indicated that although the courses are beneficial, they frequently do not provide possibilities for students to put what they have learnt into practice, such as internships or incubators. A more thorough approach to entrepreneurial education is required, one that goes beyond academic understanding to offer practical experience and ongoing feedback, as these many viewpoints demonstrate.