Challenges of Entrepreneurial Education in Nigerian Universities: Towards a Repositioning for Impact

Abstract

Entrepreneurial education course were introduced into the undergraduate curriculum of University students in Nigeria in 2006. The focus was to equip graduates with requisite skills for entrepreneurial success after school. The overarching objective of the program was to reduce youths unemployment; especially among school leavers, in Nigeria. Over the years, while graduates unemployment has not abated, there is a growing national discontentment on the socio-economic relevance of the course in Nigeria education. This inability to meet its introduction objectives has led to many uncoordinated revisions and changes in the pedagogical structure of the curricula over the years. To reposition entrepreneurial education for impact, there is a need to critically and comprehensively review implementation challenges as reported over time. The study adopted a review methodology approach of extant literatures and publications in the last decade. The theoretical underpinning of the methodology is based on structural functionalism in order to achieve a holistic system diagnosis. The internal challenges that bother on funding, relevance and harmonization of curricula were found to be more invasive than the external policy-related challenges. It is recommended that the internal and external factors need a redress to refocus and reposition Entrepreneurial Education for impact in the country.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2016.v6n1p208