FOSTERING CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS AMONG NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: GENERAL PRINCIPLES

There is a new policy shift in the Nigerian university educational policy which promotes entrepreneurial education to facilitate entrepreneurial pursuit after graduation. This is in response to the growing rate of unemployment among the young population especially university graduates because governments at various levels cannot provide enough employment for the teeming population of youth who needs jobs. Entering the world of business or entrepreneurship could be challenging especially within the context of the ever-evolving 21st-century business climate. Business success thus becomes a huge concern for entrepreneurs and other stakeholders in the growth and development of the Nigerian society and economy. This apprehension becomes magnified with Nigeria’s myriads of economic challenges. This work aims at contributing to the discourse on consolidating entrepreneurial practices in a developing economy such as Nigeria by targeting students at different levels of study in the university system. While exposing the concepts of creativity and innovation, the work proposes that the preparation of university students for business or entrepreneurial pursuit should include deliberate creativity and innovation through the use of structured tools and deliberate methods and principles for business success in a highly competitive and dynamic business world. This proposal becomes relevant within the context of the sustainability of businesses in the ever-challenging Nigerian economy. Conclusively, the paper avers that the principles and strategies canvassed will facilitate entrepreneurial success when these university students eventually become entrepreneurs. Article visualizations