Entrepreneurship education compulsory ih higher institutions

Speaking on Monday in Kaduna at the opening ceremony of a workshop organised by the NBTE for the critique of the draft teacher’s guide and training manuals for the teaching of entrepreneurship in the polytechnics and related institutions in Nigeria, Yakubu described the development as a good omen for the country.

Yakubu explained that the development was part of the Federal Government’s reforms efforts in the education sector, saying it was aimed at making the graduates of higher institutions in the country more marketable.

He added that it would also re-orient them towards becoming self-reliant and employers of labour rather than being job-seekers at the end of their studies.

His words: "Entrepreneurship education is among the priority agenda of the present administration. This is in realization of the need to redress the problem of graduate unemployment in the country and create job opportunities for our teeming youths.

" The task before us as training institutions and regulators is therefore to change the mindset of our youths towards creativity, innovation and enterprise in order for them to be job creators rather than job-seekers: a paradigm shift that will unlock the globally acknowledged creative intelligence of the Nigerian.

"To achieve this objective, government has directed that entrepreneurship education be incorporated in all programmes run in our tertiary institutions as a mandatory course. The training in this programme will entail some theoretical aspects, but will principally comprise of practical exposure which is reinforced with a mentoring scheme," he said.

"It is our plan to produce copies of the final curriculum, Teachers’ Guide and Training Manuals as soon as possible for use by the polytechnics and monotechnics in the teaching and learning of entrepreneurship," Yakubu asserted.

Speaking at the function, the representative of the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Eric Onyeiwu said that the NSE was seriously concerned about the lack of entrepreneurship skill amongst Nigeria’s young professionals.

He lauded the efforts of the Federal Government through the NBTE to re-train the nation’s youths, describing it as a great service to the nation.