Students’ Perception of Entrepreneurship Education and interest in self-reliance: Evidence from Polytechnics in Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Entrepreneurship Education emerged few decades ago as instrument through which poverty could be alleviated from amongst the Nigerian youth; by providing opportunities and ways of occupational alternatives and choices to which graduates of Polytechnic Institutions are a part. This work intends to explore the sensitivity of the Polytechnic students in the polytechnics in Yobe State, Nigeria towards entrepreneurship education in inducing venture creation after their tertiary education. The investigator collected data through questionnaire in ended opened-ended format. Random sampling was used to select respondents for the study. Data were analyzed using partial least square method and the hypotheses were tested using the structural equation model (SEM). Application soft wire applied in this study is the SmartPLS version 3.0. The study findings highlightedamong other things the lower level of practical activities, inadequate curriculum content, lack of depth treatment of the subjects, less time allocated for the subject and otherwise lecturers who teach the course are very qualified but not in entrepreneurship as a discipline as some of the factors that halt students’ interest in venture creation. This study recommends that EED curriculum be enriched and students be given lot of practical for them to appreciate very well the venture creation formula. Furthermore, expert from different field of endeavors are recommended to be hired or recruited to teach entrepreneurship education particularly the practical aspects in Nigerian Polytechnics. This will help in no small measure to blend theory of entrepreneurship with practice.