IMPACT OF BUSINESS EDUCATION ON YOUTHS EMPOWERMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Study

Several views and opinions have been in the past years argued on the meaning and the place of business education both at the levels of primary, secondary and university respectively. These developments have created moves in the inclusion of some vocational subjects and courses in the curriculum of pre-primary, post-primary and even tertiary institutions all with a view to achieve the needed employable skills in the development of the youths and the society at large. The term business education is a comprehensive term referring to the educational process it involves, in addition to general education, the study of technologies and the acquisition of practical skills and knowledge relating to occupations in various sectors of economy and social life. The broad educational goals of business education distinguish it from “vocational training: which is directed to developing the particular skills and related knowledge required by a specific occupation or group of occupations. Anya and Neukar (2004).

The Federal government recently acknowledged that about 80 percent of Nigeria’s youth are unemployed while 10 percent are underemployed (Salami, 2013). According to the National Bureau of statistics (2010) the national unemployment rates for Nigeria between 2000 and 2009 showed that unemployed persons constituted 31.1%, 13.6% in 2001, 12.6% in 2002, 13.4% in 2004, 13.7% in 2006, 14.9% in 2008, and 19.7% in 2009. With respect to age group, education and sex NBS (2010) data showed that persons aged between 15 and 24 years had 41.6% unemployed. For persons between 25 and 44 years, 17% were unemployed. For persons with primary education 14.8% were unemployed while those with post secondary education had 21.3% unemployed.

Nigeria had a population of 164.38 million in 2011. Out of this figure the labour force stood at 67.25million out of which 51.18 million were employed and 16.07 million unemployed. Unemployment has become a major problem for Nigeria (Salami, 2013). Salami noted that, with an unemployment ratio of 23.9 percent of the total population, over 38 million Nigerians are unemployed. Of the workforce, it means that 16 million are unemployed. Furthermore, the National Bureau of Statistics (2010) report show that approximately 112.5 million (68%) out of 164 million Nigerians live in relative poverty conditions.

The National Board for Technical Education as a principal organ of Federal Ministry of Education was established to handle all aspects of Technical and Vocational Education outside university Education. In addition to providing standardized minimum guide curricula for technical and vocational Education and Training, the board supervises and regulates, through an accreditation process, the programmes offered by technical institutions at secondary and post secondary levels. This organ has the mandate to uphold the ideals of a free, united and egalitarian society and promote good quality Technical and Vocational education, a system that is flexible and accessible to all for the purpose of producing competent and relevant technological manpower needed for sustainable national development. The mission of business education in Nigeria is to promote the production of skilled technical and professional manpower, to revitalize, and sustain the national economy, reduce unemployment and poverty.

Adenubi (1985) agreed that if these laudable objectives and policy pronouncements on business education are fully implemented, Nigeria will have an army of skilled manpower; the kind of manpower needed to create, operate, maintain and sustain the economy of a nation.

However, business education in Nigeria has not done much in unemployment reduction and job creation. The system could be adjudged as contributing its quota to army of unemployed graduates, hence the massive youth unemployment in the country. It is true that the strength of any economy depends very significantly on the strength of its actualization of its potentials in entrepreneurial opportunities in our skills area. These skill units have high potential for job creation. To state the obvious, Business Education Programme could be rated wonderful, but lack of qualified manpower and infrastructural amenities that needed for the skills in the programme remain impotent.

Business education seeks to relate education to employment, job creation and self-reliance. Therefore, Okorie (2001) sees business education as that type of education, which develops the mental and physical qualities of people thereby increasing their skills, knowledge and attitudes required for utilizing the natural resources needed for economic development of the nation and for their own self-employment. The declining economic fortunes and rising waves of unemployment through the years have greatly emphasized the need for entrepreneurship education and Vocational Education. The way forward in Nigeria is to shed the gap in basic education or grammar school type of education. Inspite of the huge noise on the National Policy on Education of 1977 which placed so much emphasis on technological education, nothing much has been achieved in that respect. Successive governments tried to address this issue by the establishing of Federal Universities of Technologies and Federal Colleges of Education (Technical) throughout the states of the federation. This Vocationalization of education is a means of providing skilled man power. Besides the provision of manpower, the Federal Government, between1981 and 1992 provided Technology grants in cash to some states to procure capital equipment in Technology for equipping unity schools. In addition to this the Federal Government also placed order for introductory technology equipment from Czechoslovakia, Hungry and Bulgaria for all the Secondary schools in the country at a substantial cost. However, it is pertinent to note that the equipment did not arrive this country until the year, 1985, (source: Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja).

Regrettably, all these wonderful ideas and efforts made by the government have not done much in checking unemployment, poverty, joblessness and youth restiveness in the country. This suggests that our education system is ineffective and impotent. The reason is not farfetched. The potential rudimental competences of manpower are presently lacking in business training and education. The entrepreneurial spirit/skills and attitude development are lacking in the business education as presently mounted in our tertiary institutions.

Nigeria and Nigerians have not shifted their attention from theoretical courses to skill entrepreneurial scheme. The half baked system of training with obsolete infrastructures in our school system compounded the problem. Over one million people sit for JAMB every year less than 2% of the population goes for skill based courses. There must be shift in our value orientation. Statistics has it that over 500, 000 youths graduate from NYSC, but less than 10% will acquire job. The remaining is still depending on relatives and parents even after five years of graduation. It is also clear that there is nowhere in the world government will provide jobs for the entire population, but will provide enabling environment for job creation. The reorientation towards business education must be the focus of government at large. A shift must be made from the presently mounted business education in our tertiary institution demands practical skill training for job competencies in the actual work environment. This is where the desirable skills, attitudes and competencies to attract and sustain a job could be developed.

It is not debatable that training in business education is central to self reliance. We have also seen the concerted efforts made by successive governments to check unemployment by setting up of various craft centers and institutes. Government has also inculcated entrepreneurship education in NCE, polytechnics and university curricula. Similarly, schemes such as Industrial Training Fund (ITF) introduced in 1971 and the student industrial works experience scheme (SIWES) introduced in 1976, gives the students the much desired opportunity to work in companies while still in school, allowing a blend of what was learnt in school with what obtains in the work or business environment. Further, worthy of mention is the operation Feed the Nation Programme of the Obasanjo First leadership, Green Revolution of Shagari, The Better Life Programme of IBB years, The Poverty Alleviation Programmme of Obasanjo, and most recently, NEEDS (National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy) of the present government which is intended to make the private sector the engine of economic growth, by playing the role of enabler, facilitator and regulator, create jobs and generate wealth. All these lofty schemes and programmes are aimed at reducing unemployment, poverty and to serve as vehicle for promoting entrepreneurship and self-reliance. These ideas are wonderful and will produce the wonderful skilled men and women when harnessed. The need to promote the entrepreneurial spirit /skill and incorporate training for self employment against this backdrop, training in entrepreneurship must be marched with the usual skills in business education, for example, a typist without adequate skills cannot succeed ever when encouraged to open a business centre. Conversely a typist with adequate typing skills but without the requisite entrepreneurial training may also not succeed even when enough funds is pumped into opening a business center because of inadequate managerial capability.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

Irrespective of all the above-mentioned policies and programs aimed at increasing youth employment and entrepreneurship development, hence leading to economic diversification, economic growth, and development, Nigeria still faces a lot of challenges toward creating sufficient job opportunities for her unemployed youths. The motivation for this study is to add to the growing literature on impact of business education on youths empowerment, economic growth and development in colleges of education with the aim of examining whether empowering the youths has significantly contributed to entrepreneurship growth and hence lead to economic diversification in Nigeria through the application of Nigeria Enterprise Survey Data (2014) and multinomial logistic regression model.

Previous studies such as Okoli and Okoli (2013), Olajide and Akojenu (2017), Yusuf (2017), Egbefo and Abe (2017), Ogbondah and Nwogu (2017), Abasilim et al. (2017), Mukhtar et al. (2018), Ogamba (2019), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2019), Tagwai (2020), among others, have tried to look at either youth entrepreneurship or entrepreneurship development differently without looking at youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development together especially with reference to Nigeria. None of the reviewed studies have tried to examine the implication of economic diversification brought about by youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development in Nigeria’s case. However, these studies were not done in Nigeria. This study therefore tries to bridge this study gap by examining impact of business education on youths empowerment, laying emphasis on its implication for economic diversification in Nigeria.

1.3 Objective Of The Study

The general aim of this study is to ascertain the impact of business education on youths empowerment, economic growth and development in colleges of education. The specific aims of this study are outlined below:

1. Ascertain whether business education is effectively taught in colleges of education.

2. Determine whether there is a significant relationship between business education and youths empowerment.

3. Ascertain whether business education programme has a significant impact on economic growth and development in Nigeria.

4. Ascertain the contributions of business education on youths empowerment, economic growth and development

1.4 Research Questions

The main focus of this research is to provide a valuable response to the questions below.

1. Is business education effectively taught in colleges of education?

2. Is there a significant relationship between business education and youths empowerment?

3. Does business education programme has a significant impact on economic growth and development in Nigeria?

4. What are the contributions of business education on youths empowerment, economic growth and development.

1.5 Research Hypothesis

Ho: Business education has no significant impact on youths empowerment, economic growth and development in colleges of education.

Ha: Business education has a significant impact on youths empowerment, economic growth and development in colleges of education.

1.6 Significance Of The Study

The findings of this empirical investigation will likely be of great importance to all the stakeholders in the field of education and Business education in particular. Some of the stakeholders to benefit from the results of this empirical investigation includes: Government, Researchers, Business Educators/teachers, students, employers of labour, and business consultants.

1.7 Scope Of The Study

The study is generally narrowed to the impact of business education on youths empowerment, economic growth and development in colleges of education. Hence the study will be delimited to Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Edcation, Owerri

1.8 Limitation of the Study

Like in every human endeavour, the researcher encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size. More so, the researcher simultaneously engaged in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.

Moreover, the case study method utilized in the study posed some challenges to the investigator including the possibility of biases and poor judgment of issues. However, the investigator relied on respect for the general principles of procedures, justice, fairness, objectivity in observation and recording, and weighing of evidence to overcome the challenges.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Youth: This is person aged from 15years to 30years who are strong to work effectively and efficiently with the use of physical and mental ability to gained through education.

Employment: According to Oxford Advance learner dictionary of current English, the word empowerment mean preparing and inculcating in our youth sense of belonging that will enable them to assume leadership position with a view contributing effectively to the national development when the need rises.

1.10 Organization Of The Study

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows. Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding. Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.

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