By Emmanuel Onwusoro.
Goals of entrepreneurship education in any institution in Nigeria can be attained through programme design and implementation.
This was the view of a Chief Lecturer in the Dept of Business Administration and Management,The Federal Polytechnic,Ado-Ekiti,Ekiti State, Dr Paul Chiedozie Odigbo, at the 25th Professor Edward K. Obiakor Lecture Series,held at the conference hall of the institution.
In the lecture which dwelt on ” Efforts And Errors In Entrepreneurship Education Towards Employment Expansion In Nigeria: Which Paradigms Must Shift? Dr Odigbo pointed out that entrepreneurship education aims at producing graduates who will be innovative, job makers and not job seekers, producers of goods and services. He said, it is education intended to produce those who can ‘see’ the wheat in the weed, adding that vocational nature of polytechnic programmes and closeness to industries needs be exploited by embracing entrepreneurship education and leveraging on it to create employment.
The Chief Lecturer described the manner entrepreneurship education was introduced in tertiary institutions in Nigeria as an attempt to ‘manufacture’ entrepreneurs from schools,citing that even the National Board for Technical Education,NBTE, is yet to realize its objectives in entrepreneurship education in Polytechnics. “Out of confusion, Polytechnics often exhibit products of entrepreneurship centres as evidence of skill acquisition, and conclusive proof of employment creation. The truth is that skill acquisition may not translate to job creation”. He remarked.
he educationist brought to the fore what he referred to as educational paradigms which he explained are the contexts in which education takes place. For instance, formal education in structured environment is taken to be ‘school paradigm’ ,informal education in semi-structured context has to do with ‘street paradgm’ and non-formal education in unstructured context, he discussed as ‘social paradigm’.
As a way out , Dr Odigbo among others suggested:
– That a centre for entrepreneurship education research and development should be established by the National Board for Technical Education,NBTE,to research on the best methods of teaching entrepreneurship and monitor the implementation of entrepreneurship education in Polytechnics and use feedbacks to modify policy as the need arises.
–Departments of business development should be introduced in Polytechnics to teach how to start,nurture and launch new businesses,while business administration and management teaches how to manage and grow established businesses.
–Teachers of entrepreneurship education in Polytechnics should be professionally qualified and must go for industrial training in existing businesses. Such teachers need to learn to use what he called experiental learning techniques, to develop students’ skills in opportunity recognition,marshalling of resources and critical thinking.
–Polytechnics should see their responsibility to students beyond the school walls by ‘trace studying’ graduates after school and providing continuing support for graduates. The Alumni Association can easily trace all graduates.
Also, that directors of entrepreneurship education centres should be made to brainstorm in conferences and workshops to share experiences.
The Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr Dayo Oladebeye appreciated the lecturer for bringing some illustrations to bear on his presentation,thereby driving home his points to the audience unfettered. He said the lecturer’s recommendations will go a long way in charting a new vista for entrepreneurship education.
The Rector reminded the audience that right from inception the lecturer in his presentation had indicated that entrepreneurship education may be efficient yet ineffective. He explained that the lecturer tried to evaluate entrepreneurship education in its totality, talking about the paradigms that must have to shift. According to the him, the National Board for Technical Education and other stakeholders have a lot to derive from the lecture in tune with the recommendations of the lecturer in the quest for a true entrepreneurship education.
Reacting to an interview,the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, Ekiti State Chapter, High Chief Alex Ndubuisi commended the lecturer for living up to expectation, adding that Dr Odigbo’s presentation was educating,enthralling,incisive and above all an exposé.
He appreciated authorities of the institution for deeming Dr Odigbo eligible to showcase what he has been imparting to the students, and by extension applying his profession to the wellbeing of the society.
