ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION: STEERING AND STIMULATING ENTREPRENEURIAL BEHAVIOURS OF LEARNERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA

Entrepreneurial behaviours have been identified as a pertinent driver of innovation, job creation and economic growth globally. Thus, Entrepreneurial behaviours are viewed as critical to the survival of every entrepreneurial endeavour worldwide and higher education institutions are recognised as major channels for steering and stimulating these behaviours. However, Entrepreneurial behaviour have been vitiated as evidenced by the lack of capital, entrepreneurial skill gaps, technological skill gaps, intense competition, regulatory challenges and limiting belief. These challenges have continued to attract the attention of notable gamut of scholars and policymakers. Existing literature indicates that entrepreneurship education is suggestive of addressing these challenges. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of entrepreneurship education on Entrepreneurial behaviours of undergraduate students in higher education institutions Nigeria-wide. Survey research design was adopted. The population was 3,025 final-year undergraduate students from four selected private universities in Nigeria. A sample size of 341 was determined using Krejcie and Morgan formula. Stratified random sampling method was adopted in selecting the respondents. Validated questionnaire was administered for data collection. Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients for the constructs ranged from 0.71 to 0.87. A response rate of 95.1% was achieved. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential (multiple and hierarchical regression) statistics at a 5% level of significance. Findings revealed that entrepreneurship education dimensions had a significant effect on entrepreneurial behaviours of learners in higher education institutions in Nigeria. The study concluded that entrepreneurship education affects the entrepreneurial behaviours of learners in higher education institutions in Nigeria. The study recommended that the management of selected universities should cooperate with government and regulators to provide adequate funding, grants and support for learner’s startups and innovative projects so as to engender positive entrepreneurial outcomes.