ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION IN NIGERIA: PROSPECTS, CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES

Abstract Entrepreneurship education (EEd) is globally viewed as the engine of economic growth and development, an education and training which develops students to use their creativity, possess the ability to recognize and evaluate business opportunity, take initiative, responsibility, risks and appropriate actions to succeed. This paper sought to identify the challenges confronting the success of EEd in Nigeria and gather strategies for its improvement. Two research questions guided the study. The researchers used simple random sampling technique to select 620 students and entrepreneurs as the sample for the study. A 30-item questionnaire was used to gather information. Findings revealed that EEd challenges include: recruiting qualified teachers with appropriate knowledge; raising funds for financing EEd in schools and for youths' establishment of business; dealing with poor power supply and security; providing adequate learning materials; facility/technology; among others. Factors such as: provision of credit facility by banks; interest-free loans/funds by governments, financial institutions/NGOs; training/re-training of teachers; provision of adequate facilities; among others were identified as strategies. Recommendations made include: adequate funding of EEd activities/provision of take-off grants for students/entrepreneurs, necessary infrastructural facilities/technology, among others. Nigeria today faces a number of challenges which can only be met if it has innovative, welleducated, and entrepreneurial citizens who, whatever their walks of life, have the spirit and inquisitiveness to think in new ways, and the courage to meet and adapt to the challenges facing them. Moreover, a dynamic economy, which is innovative and able to groom young people who will launch and successfully develop their own commercial or social ventures, or who will become innovators in the wider organizations in which they work, is definitely what Nigeria needs at this point in time to survive her challenges. Entrepreneurship education is essential not only to shape the mindsets of young people but also to provide the skills and knowledge that are essential to developing an entrepreneurship culture. Entrepreneurship education seeks to provide students with the knowledge, skills and motivation to encourage entrepreneurial success in a variety of settings The above views show that entrepreneurship education by its scope, nature and characteristics is a rebranding education culture meant to guarantee a comprehensive educational system re-engineering arising from the obvious deficiencies of the existing education system (Enu