International Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences, 2(6) June 2013, Pages: 438-447

TI Journals

International Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences

ISSN
2306-7276

www.tijournals.com

Effective Management and Delivery of Entrepreneurship

Education: Implications and Perceptions of Non-business
Inclined Undergraduates of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
Alagbu Chukwubuikem Eugene *1, Alagbu Chinwe Adline 2, E.O. Agwubuike 3
1

Department of human kinetics and health education faculty of education Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Anambra State Nigeria.
Department of Educational Management and Policy, Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Anambra State Nigeria.
3
Department of Health, Environmental and Human Kinetics, Faculty of Education, University of Benin.
2

AR TIC LE INF O

AB S TR AC T

Keywords:

This research sought to verify the impact of effective management and delivery of
entrepreneurship education, its implications and the perceptions of non-business inclined
undergraduates in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka (UNIZIK). A total of 922 non-business
inclined undergraduates from six faculties were used as respondents. The research instrument
was a modified Liker t-type questionnaire with four-point-rating-scales of strongly-agree, agree,
strongly-disagree and disagree. The instrument was pilot-tested and produced a reliability index
of 0.81. Results were analyzed using percentages. Findings revealed that the undergraduates
were keenly interested in the course Entrepreneurship Education and New Ventures Creation
(ENT 200). The study also indicated business start-ups by the undergraduates, due to their
exposure to the course. Recommendations were made.

Entrepreneurship Education (EE) Self reliance

non-business inclined undergraduate students
effective management delivery
perception
regular students

2013 Int. j. econ. manag. soc. sci. All rights reserved for TI Journals.

Introduction
Nigerian university education for a long time has been under criticism for producing only job-seeking graduates, rather than self reliant or
job-creating graduates. Not even Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka was exonerated in the attack, despite the fact that inter-alia her motor
had been Discipline, Excellence and Self-Reliance. How dynamic and responsive has Nigerian Universities been towards contemporary
need and aspirations of the society they are meant to serve? Today in Nigeria massive unemployment, poverty, constant change of jobs and
loss of employment is a common feature.
Historically, Nigeria inherited an educational system from her British over-lords which merely prepared graduates basically for
employment, over a long period of time. This implies that, securing government or private sector-paid employment after graduation served
as an index for measuring success, both for the graduating students and the universities that produced them. Whereas for a long time past,
the developed economies had anchored their educational system on self-reliance, making it their driver of economic growth and
development of their youths, (European Commission 2004; Schaurer, Kailer & Feld bauer-Durstmueller, 2005).
Initially the response of the government of Nigeria towards solving these hydra headed problems of unemployment and poverty, were
through the establishment of some mauriborne agencies, such as National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS);
New partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD), National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP); and Small and Medium
Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN). All these initiatives only succeeded in achieving very minimal success (Okojie,
2008, Osibanjo 2006).
However very recently, some few years ago, a more proactive approach or intervention was initiated, when in 2004, the Federal
Government of Nigeria through the National University Commission (NUC) mandated all higher Institutions of learning in the country to
introduce Entrepreneurship Education for all undergraduates. Today in Nnamdi Azikiwe University just like other universities, offer
Entrepreneurship Education, as a means of solving unemployment, by making the products of the university self-reliant.
There has been sharp disagreement among experts regarding the true definition of the term entrepreneurship, however effort will be made
to review some prominent definitions of the term. According to Mullins (2006) he posited that entrepreneurship is the pursuit of
opportunities without regard to resources one immediately has at his or her disposal. In a similar vein the European Commission (2006)
simply defined it as an individuals ability to turn ideas into action. Furthermore Adela (2008) said that courses that are taught under
*Corresponding author.
Email address: alagbuchukwubuikem@yahoo.co.uk

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Internati onal Jour nal of Economy, Mana ge ment and Social Sciences , 2(6) June 2013

entrepreneurship studies emphasize only small scale business start-ups, while ignoring what he called transformational entrepreneurship.
True goal of entrepreneurship education is to empower people in every society and at all levels, to take informed risks/decisions, by taking
their own destiny in their hands through making right choice of becoming self-reliant and self-employed. Entrepreneurship education
ultimately, aims at creating opportunities which not only contributes to economic development, but also to personal and professional
development of an individual (European Commission 2006).
The inclusion of entrepreneurship education as a course to be compulsorily offered by every 200 level (second year) undergraduate students
of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, took place in 2008/2009 academic session. Sequel to the Federal Government of Nigeria mandating
all the universities in the country through the National Universities Commission (NUC) to set up a centre for Entrepreneurial Education and
initiate general courses on Entrepreneurship in their academic programnmes. This resulted to the commencement of a general
Entreprenurship course coded as ENT 200 and titled Entrepreneurship Education and New Ventures Creation, for all 200 level students
of Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Over 5000 (five thousand) 200 level students took the first exam in the course in 2008/2009 session and
hence forth, about this number during every second semester of each session are exposed to the teaching and learning in Entrepreneurship
Education and New Ventures Creation (ENT 200). The introduction of this course of study in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, is also
based on the assumption that entrepreneurship knowledge, skills and behaviour change, can be taught and acquired through educational
exposure (Moro, Poli and Bernardi; 2004; Hytli and Kuopusjarvi 2004). The course ENT 200 is planned for students to acquire knowledge
about entrepreneurship education in terms of its role in national development, enabling its beneficiaries to develop skills, and capabilities
needed to conceptualize, plan and initiate business start-ups. The entrepreneurship education equally guides students on how to source for
funds for business start-ups, management of funds, using best practices in business management. The course is made available to all
students in their second year of their under-graduate programme in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, since it is believed that innovative
business ideas may arise from any creative mind either in Humanities, technical, or sciences Educational pursuits.
Since the commencement of the course of study, not much has been studied on the impact of the course on the students. Equally the
researcher was moved to delving into the study to justify the assertion of Lean (1998); Van de Sluis a Praag & Van Witteloostuijn (2004)
who asserted that students who were exposed to entrepreneurship education course were more likely to start their own business. Albert
(2000) in their extensive research work on Entrepreneurship studies, in their conclusion also, suggested that more researches should be
carried out in the area.

Methodology
Research Design
The design adopted for this study was the pre-test quasi-experimental design due to the fact that it is a school setting. Hence using the timeseries experimental design, their perception of the course ENT 200 was measured before and after exposure, to ascertain the effect of the
treatment (Entrepreneurship Education and New Ventures Creation.
Population and Sample
During the period of the study a total of 4,800 students in their second year of study in the university registered for the course (ENT 200).
Out of which a total of 1,200 were selected from departments considered as non-business inclined: Arts, science and Education. Using the
stratified random sampling method, 200 male and 200 female regular students, were selected from each of the three faculties (i.e. 600 males
and 600 females). After the administration of the questionnaire only 922 or 77% useable ones were returned, out of which 465 were
questionnaires from the females, while the rest 457 were from the male students. On further scrutinization of the returned questionnaires it
was discovered that 106 of these respondents were considered ineligible for the study due to the fact that (n 18) already owned a business
out-fit while another (n-88) came from families who were already involved in business. Since the aim of the study was to examine the
effects of exposure to entrepreneurship course on undergraduate students from non-business inclined departments, those 106 students who
either already owned a business or whose families were already in business were excluded.
Instrumentation
For the purposes of this research 3 (three) instruments were used: Questionnaire on students inclinations towards Business Start-ups tagged
(QSIBE); Students/Perceptions of Entrepreneurship Education (SPEE) and Semi-Structured interviews (SSI) Each of the two
questionnaires were developed and validated for use to obtain data for this study. There were two sections that made up the questionnaire
(A & B). The A part was used to elicit responses on the students demographic data. While the B portion was used to ascertain their
inclination towards being self-reliant. The A section of the questionnaire instrument tagged SPEE was used to obtain information on
matters of national interest, while the B part was used to elicit responses on students perceptions of the course Entrepreneurship
Education (ENT 200) and New Ventures Creation (ENT 200), generally. The questionnaire instrument I tagged SSI was used to collect
information on students experiences of life. These sets of questionnaires were all validated by experts in the Test & Measurement Dept. of
the Faculty of Education. The suggestions of the experts resulted to further modifications of the questionnaires such that finally the QSIBE
that initially had 12 items was reduced to 8, the SPEE that had 10 items before was also reduced to 7. Furthermore to ensure reliability, a
pilot test was conducted using 110 students. (20 males and 20 females) from non-business related departments who will not be involved in
the main study. A test-retest reliability coefficient of .76was obtained with an interval of three weeks between the two tests administration
on the same sample of students. The reliability coefficient of SPEE questionnaire was 0.83.

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Administration of Instrument
The questionnaire QSIBE was administered as pretest and post-test to the 1,200 (second year) non-business inclined undergraduate
students) from faculties of Arts, Science & Education, before the commencement of the Entrepreneurship Education Course (ENT 200)
Lecturers in Nnamdi Azikiwe University. The entrepreneurship course is a one full semester course that lasts for up to 12 weeks lecturers.
The same instrument was administered on the same respondents at the end of their course ENT 200 in the semester.

Findings
Research Question 1
Table 1. The impact of Entrepreneurship Education on non-business inclined undergraduates students (N = 922)

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Graphic Representation: Effect of EE on Students Entrepreneurial Ventures

Figure 1. Impact of (EE) on Students Entrepreneurial Inclinations

Analyzing the responses of non-business inclined undergraduate students to item one (to seek for immediate employment after graduation)
76% or 698 of them before exposure to the Entrepreneurship course Education (EE), indicated willingness to seek for immediate
employment after graduation, while 224 or 24% of them disagreed. The result after the same set of students had been exposed to
entrepreneurship course showed that 71% or 652 of them disagreed, while only 29% or 270 of them still had the intention of seeking for
government employment after graduation. Regarding item two which solicited responses on (self-employment after working for
government for 5 years). The pre-test responses revealed that 15% or 142 indicated their willingness to be self-employed after working for
the government for 5 years, while 780 or 82% disagreed. However after their exposure to (EE) their post-test responses indicated that 668
or 72% indicated their readiness to be self-employed after 5 years of working for the government, while 254 or 28% of them still disagreed.

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Item 3 sought for responses on better financial security being provided under government employment, pre-test responses showed that 76%
or 704 of the respondents agreed with the statement, while 24% or 218 of them disagreed. However after their exposure to the (EE) the
post-test responses showed that 20% or 278 still agreed with the statement while 644 or 70% had to change their mind.
Regarding item 4 which intended to solicit students responses on (owning or starting their own business after retirement) indicated that at
pre-test 688 or 75% agreed with the statement, while 234 or 25% disagreed. After their exposure to (EE) the post-test responses showed
that 680 or 74% disagreed while, only 242 or 26% still held on to the idea. Item 5 sought to find out the respondents responses to (already
planning for start-up business) at pre-test only 38 or 4% agreed to the statement while 884 or 96% of them disagreed. At post-test 564 or
61% agreed and 358 or 39% still disagreed. Item 6 solicited for the respondents responses regarding their unlikelihood of becoming
successful business people; at pre-test 778 or 84% agreed, while 144 or 16% disagreed after their exposure to (EE) the post-test responses
indicated 294 or 32% still agreed; while 628 or 68% disagreed. Item 7 sought for responses on the issue of lack of funds as a good reason to
opt-out from venturing into business, at pre-test 736 or 80% of them agreed to the statement while 186 or 20% disagreed, then after
exposure to (EE) 357 or 38% still agreed while 570 or 62% disagreed. Item 8 equally followed similar trend, in that the respondents who
earlier felt it did not matter even if they never owned any business throughout their life time, later, after exposure to (EE) changed their
stance, at pre-test 714 or 77% agreed, while 208 or 23% disagreed, post-test 242 or 26% agreed, while 680 or 74% disagreed.
Research Question 2
The researchers conducted further interviews on the respondents to verify further evidence of the effects of their exposure to (EE). It
became evident that some of them had already started doing some small business around their hostels of residence.
Table 2: Types of business some of the respondents had already ventured into just after few months of exposure to (EE).
Table 2. Respondents Business Start-Ups due to Entrepreneurship Education (N = 352)

Effective Management and Delivery of Entrepreneurship Education: Implications and Perceptions of Non-business Inclined
Internati onal Jour nal of Economy, Mana ge ment and Social Sciences , 2(6) June 2013

Graphic Representation of students business start ups (N = 352) after exposure to E.E.

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Figure 2. Rate of students business start-ups after exposure to EE

Table 3. Students Perceptions of Entrepreneurship Education E E
(N = 922)

Graphic representation of students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University

Perceptions of ENT 200 (course of study) (N = 922)

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Table 3 and fig (iii) above shows that 85% or (782) of the non-business inclined undergraduate students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University
Awka perceived Entrepreneurship Education course (ENT 200) as very interesting. Some 68% of them felt ENT topics should relate to
their own course of study in the university. With regards to the adequacy of one method of ENT 200 delivery, 81% wished that the method
should be further varied and improved. On the issue of ENT 200 being a waste of students time such that it should be scrapped, 90% did
not perceive it as a waste of time. Regarding whether ENT 200 is beneficial to students 84% agreed that the course is beneficial to them.
Some 64% or 594 of the students wished that more ENT 200 courses be introduced, while only 36% of them or 328 disagreed.

Table 4. Suggestions by Non-Business inclined Students on how to move ENT 200 forward

Table 4: Shows a battery of students suggestions on how to further improve on the delivery of ENT 200 (Entrepreneurship Education and
New Ventures Creation, in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka). Some 590 or 68% of the students suggested that on graduation every
student be made to submit two projects/one in students area of study, and the other in Entrepreneurial Education studies. Another 482 or

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52% suggested that students be made to visit corporate related businesses in small groups. Equally 644 or 70% of the respondents
suggested that successful business men/women be made to come and share their success experiences with them. Again 792 or 85% of the
respondents suggested that ENT 200 topics should cite examples from different faculties of the university. Another 866 of the respondents
suggested that more practically oriented teaching be incorporated in ENT 200. Finally 278 or 30% of the respondents suggested that each
faculty should have one Entrepreneurial Education Counselor to guide students of the faculties in entrepreneurship and New Ventures
creation.

Discussions and Conclusions

This research study revealed that the exposure of students to ENT 200 (Entrepreneurship Education and New Ventures Creations) in
Nnamdi Azikiwe University resulted to a remarkable increase in the students inclination towards self-reliance and self-employment.
The study revealed that students now rather than look up to the government for employment, think of employing themselves on graduation
from the university. Students now see it as un-realistic to wait till retirement from government service before venturing into business. The
research equally revealed that there were unprecedented small business start-ups among the students in their hostels due to their exposure to
entrepreneurship Education (ENT 200).
The study revealed that exposure to Entrepreneurship Education resulted to business initiatives and actions among students in non-business
inclined areas of study in the university. These findings resulting from this research goes to confirm the positive impact of entrepreneurship
Education which after words results to positive actions leading to small scale business start-ups, Chell et al (1991); Aladekomo (2004);
Jones & English (2004).
The result of this study therefore agrees with Garavan and Ocinneide (1994) who said that training and education play major role in the
development of entrepreneurship capabilities and start-ups of businesses. Equally, this research finding agrees with Zinger, Lebrasseur and
Zanibbi (2001) all who observed that education strengthens the entrepreneurial capabilities of individuals, and equally supports the
inculcation of entrepreneurial psychological mind-set in students, that ultimately encourage participants to take further actions.
The findings of this research have implications for the development of further curriculum in university education in Nigeria. It is also
evident through this study that Entrepreneurship education can be effectively taught in higher institutions of learning in Nigeria. The
delivery of entrepreneurship Education in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka (ENT 200) could be regarded as a success, considering the
number of business start-ups among the students after exposure to the course.

Recommendations
Based on the above mentioned implications of the study, the following recommendations are therefore made:The entrepreneurship education should be given more impetus in the academic programme of Nnamdi Azikiwe University by
compelling students in their final year to write two projects, one in business start-up proposal and the other in their area of
specialization.
More emphasis should be placed on the use of examples related to students field of study in the delivery of ENT 200 course.
It is also recommended that instructions in entrepreneurship education be more students centered, practical & project oriented,
rather than theoretically inclined.
Efforts must be made on regular and continuous basis in each session, for one successful business entrepreneur to come and share
his/her success story among Entrepreneurship Education and New ventures creation (ENT 200), Students.
More practically oriented topics of ENT 200 to be introduced.

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