ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A PHILOSOPHICAL EXAMINATION OF CONCEPTS, ROLES AND CHALLENGES

Abstract The main thrust of this paper was to examine the meaning, roles, justification and challenges of entrepreneurship education in Nigeria. The paper described an entrepreneur as someone who ventures by taking risks into planning, organizing and coordinating a business to make profit by either producing goods or rendering services. Entrepreneurship education is defined as a process of adjustment which involves the development of the social and economic efficiency of individuals by upgrading their thought pattern, and focusing on training students on how to develop positive attitudes, innovations and skills for self- reliance. National development is described as the change in growth and development of a country which includes social, cultural and economic change observable in equal living standard for all, equal distribution of income and capital, expansion of facilities – health, education, infrastructures among others. Promotion of economic development by increasing Gross Domestic Product, creation of immediate large scale employment and reduction in Rural – Urban drift etc are identified as role of entrepreneurship to national development. Low competence of entrepreneurship education lecturers, absence of curricular capacity to support training, non-favourable policy environment among others are identified as challenges of entrepreneurship education in Nigeria. Creation of entrepreneurship friendly environment by the government, development of entrepreneur internship programme, establishment of an enterprise college are among others suggested for tackling challenges of entrepreneurship in Nigeria.