1.0 Introduction
According to section 8 (58) of FRN (2004), tertiary education is the education given after secondary education, either in universities, colleges of education, polytechnics, monotechnics including those institutions offering correspondence courses. One of the goals of such education is to acquire both physical and intellectual skills which will enable individual to be self-reliant and useful members of the society.
Article (24(C) of the same section indicates that universities education shall contribute to making all students of a general program of all round improvement in university education, to offer general study courses such as history, of ideas, philosophy of knowledge and nationalism. This provision demands the strengthening of entrepreneurship education curriculum in the tertiary institutions.
Our world is fast changing, interdependent and certainly amongst the most interestingin human history (Enu, 2010). It is indeed an era of greater challenges. These challenges bring possibilities for those responsible for education subsequent generations. On the srenggth of the Greg, pike and Selby (1991). It asked the following questions:
- How should schools go about in the task of preparing young people for more informed and effective participation in world society?
- How can teachers best help to develop understanding in the face of this exciting yet daunting prospect of adult life in the 21st century?
- What kind of skills, capacities and insights students need to make sense of, cope with and handle an accelerating rate of change in this growing world?
A synthesis of the above question constitutes a rich contebt scope of entrepreneurship education. In a report of the Global education initiative (2009) on educating the next wave of entrepreneurs and unlocking entrepreneurial capabilities to meet the challenges of the 21st century, an aspect of the report states thus: preparing todays students for success and eventual leadership in the new global market place is the most important responsibility in education today. Entrepreneurship education is an important tool to achieving these objectives and should be universally to provide all students with opportunities to explore and fulfill their potentials.
Similarly, Alvin Totfler, the popular futurist declared as follows: “our job is to prepare children for the future…… But the challenges is preparing them for the high future: to fot into the future perfectly and function with the skills needed in this dynamic and responsive society requires entrepreneurship education knowledge. The rapidly expanding nature of entrepreneurship education has become an evolving aspect of higher education. It is a culture that is meant to transform the Nigeria tertiary education towards global trends.
Supporting the above, Obanya (2010) is of the view that universities have always striven to be the best among equals. That the edvent of the “knoweldeg economy” and emphasis on such values as cutting edge (in terms of ideas, innovations, facilities and most importantly technology) and global competitiveness has influenced the academic ambition of tertiary institution in generals and universities in particular in a sky is no longer he limit direction. He furthered stated that there is an external socio-economic push for people to seek education in competitive institutions for eventual exposure to fface the competitive world. There is a tendency to adequate the nations education system on a global league of world class universities. When this is achieved, it becomes an index of rising standard of our tertiary institutions in terms of curricular content and human resources, which can measure up for global competitivness.
1.1 Background of the Study
The need to incorporate in our system the need to be technologically self reliant cannot be over emphasized. The first step is to develop our humsn and natural resources, thus increasing our capital income. in the past even years or more especially during the aadminsiteration of Ibrahim Babangida, Nigeria has constantly pursued an economic policy that is geared towards self reliance for the individual as show by such programmes as the national directorate of employment (NDE) which is a graduate assistance scheme aimed at helping young schools leavers to acquire necessary skills and funds that will help them to start their own business other programmes with such mission include the people bank, family economic advancement programme (FEAP) and Nigeria association of small-scale industrialists (NASSI).
The entrepreneur and his activitiews forms an intergral part in the development of our economy. At this point, it becomes pertinent to detin who is an entrepreneur and why we are having an insight into his plight to actualize the aims objectives of its existence.
Okpara (2000), entrepreneurship is the term used broadly in connection with the innovative and creative modern industrial business leaders.
The term “ entrepreneur” has different meanings but for the purpose of this project, we ashall see it as an indidvvudal who is willing and able to take business risk for gainful purposes. Despite the aspirations of many, only a few in the country and indeed federal polytechnic nekede our place of concentrating has carried out their intention of having business established by them.s studies have been shown that 90% of these who seriously decide to incorporate a company five or more years have not done so. Although all the aims and objectives of this dreams has not come to fruition, since about 75% of Nigeri and indeed federal polytechnic nekede has not realized their dream of owing and controlling a business of their choice (Igboeli .j 1995)
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Nigeria is blessed with abundant mineral agricultural and human resources. In spite of this wealth, the standard of living in the control is very low with the average Nigeria suffering in abject poverty. This derieved from directed towards producing manpower for the colonial masters. In response to the socio-economic problems confronting the nation, it became apparent to discover and pursue the kind of education that will ginger the development of the nation. How the educational system can be refocused to accommodate the socio-economic realities confronting the nation requires investigation.
The industrial policy established immediately after independence also neglected the issue of developing the small scale sector of the economy. As Alade Komo (2004) noted, it placed emphasis and concentrated attention on establishing at the micro level in Nigeria. Realizing the contribution of small and medium scale business to the economy the government focused attention on the sector in the mild 70s and 80s by establishing some centers and institutions. Nevertheless, the issues of unemployment poses a daunting challenges to the government in Nigeria.
The unprecedented increase in the number of unemployed graduates from tertiary institution in Nigeria is alarming. This demands diversifying the economy and encouraging practical acquisition sos skills through inculcating the spirit of self reliance to students in all higher institutions in Nigeria. This paper therefore, examines how entrepreneurship education can be stimulated in educational institutions in Nigeria.
1.3 Objective of the Study
This research is aimed
- To emphasis that the development of entrepreneurial spirit among undergraduates enable them to became self reliance.
- To promote the development of entrepreneurial spirit among student of tertiary institution in empowering them to be able to operate in a dynamic business world.
- To emphasis that the development of entrepreneur spirit among students in tertiary institutions is propels them to succeed by taking calculated risk.
- To show how the development of entrepreneurial spirit is a critical for success in entrepreneurship endeavors
- To ensure that undergraduates utilizes their skill by becoming employers of labour rather than labour seekers.
1.4 Research Question
For a full investigation, this research had attempted tto answer the following questions.
- What is the need for the development of entrepreneurial spirit among students of tertiary institution?
- To what extent has the development of entrepreneurial spirit increase entrepreneurial spirit increase entrepreneurial competence among students of tertiary institutions.
- Has there been improvement in the number of students participating in entrepreneurial activities.
- How has the development of entrepreneurial spirit among students of tertiary institutions reduced in the number of job seekers.
- To what extent has government involvement helped as regards to entrepreneurship education of students of tertiary institutions?
1.5 Research Hypothesis
- Ho — students of tertiary institution can not excel without developing entrepreneurial spirit
- Hi — students of tertiary institution can excel without developing entrepreneurial spirit.
- Ho — students of tertiary institutions can not perform well without developing entrepreneurial spirit
- Hi — students of tertiary institutions can perform well without developing entrepreneurial spirit.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The research project is significant in many aspect which are:
- It will help to determine the need for developing entrepreneurial spirit
- It will also outline the various virtues of the need for developing entreprenuerial spirit among students in tertiary institutions.
- It can also reveal how the development of entrepreneurial spirit among undergraduates will aid improving the over all national economy.
- It can also reveal that the development of entrepreneurial spirit enable the undergraduates to utilize the resources within and around them to success in their entrepreneurial endeavours.
- At the end of the day, it will serve a data bank for other students who may be involved in carrying out research work in similar area.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The researcher did not find it easy to cover many higher institutions, so the focus was based on the casae study federal polytechnic nekede, owerri, imo state.
The scope will ocver the need to develop entreprenuerla spirit among students of tertiary institutions. The purposse of developing entrepreneurial spirit which is to foster self reiance of the undergraduate in order to become a job creator rather than a job seeker, in the labour market.
Also, there is need to develop entreprenuerial spirit since in lonng run it promote national economic development.
1.8 Limitation of the Study
Like every other, human endeavourss this study was not with some problems . some of the limitation factors includes;
1. Lack of material:
In the course of this study, the research found out that much was written about entrepreneurship but not on entrepreneurial spirit.
2. Time:
It was time consuming, in the sense that the researcher was sharing her time with other academic work.
3. Poor response:
The respondents were not co-operative in answering questions either by not proferring adequate answer or by not answering the question in the questionnaire.
1.9 Definition of Terms
1. Tertiary Education:
Is the education given after secondary education either in universities, colleges of education, polytechnic, monotechnics.
2. Institutions:
This is an economy where mostly economic and socio activities are made to be less, active or sad without enthusiasm
3. Stimulating:
pushing or goading towards action or an activity causing excitement or pleasure. It also can be seen as action or condition that creates a response, sensory input.
4. Scholar:
Is a person who studies an academic subject and knows a loot about it.
5. Time Lag:
This is an interval of time between one event and another related event that happen after it.
6. Endeavor:
A sincere attempt to a determined or assidual effort towards a specific goal.
7. Assiduous:
Hard working, delligent or regular in attendance or work it can also be industrious
8. Entrepreneurial Spirit:
Entrepreneurial spirit is a mind set. It is an attitude and approach to thinking that actively seeks out change, rather than waiting to adapt to change.
