entrepreneurship in vocational education with the aim of promoting ..... 64 (8),28- 29 . Brown, C. & Bettina, L. (2003) The role of career and technical education in.
Trends in Educational Studies (TRES), Vol. 4, No. 1, April 2009
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PROMOTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP CULTURE THROUGH VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES By
Dr.- (Mrs.) M. N. Koko, Ikpesu, 0. C & Dr. Tony Abayi Abstract Experience shows and literature uphold the fact that entrepreneurship offers lifelong skills for individual survival and lays sound foundation for personal development, fulfillment and citizenship. It has proven overtime to be an infallible solution to the growing risk of unemployment the world over. This paper reviews literature on entrepreneurship in vocational education with the aim of promoting entrepreneurship culture in Nigerian Universities. The paper concludes with the call on governments, educational institutions, and private individuals to enact legislations and policies that would favourably support the infusion of entrepreneurship in the curriculum as well as encourage students to develop the culture of entrepreneurship for productive, resourceful and fulfilled life. Introduction Vocational Education in Nigeria has been found to be academically driven with little practical and entrepreneurship training. No wonder, the National Universities Commission (NUC) in recognizing the emergent need for building effective entrepreneurship culture in undergraduates recently recommended the inclusion of a course_ GST 223 (Introduction to Entrepreneurship Skills) _ as a core course for all students in Nigerian Universities. Tarun (2007) observed that the prevailing academic preparation is very theoretical and disregards the utility aspects. This situation may have accounted for the poor quality of its products and the resultant ever-rising and challenging unemployment in the country. Pathetically, Nwaokolo and Otubelu (1995) described Nigerian graduates as victims of unemployment who cannot render their services for the betterment of the society. Odigbo (1998) blamed Nigerian technical and educational institutions for this trend and subscribed to the observation that the institution produces half-bal
