THE ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION IN DIVERSIFYING THE NIGERIA’S ECONOMY

Orngudwem, Terfa Iyorshe¹ Kper, Bartholomew Torkuma² and Tombowua, Paul Terlumun³

¹Basic Science Department, Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev-Benue State

²ICT Directorate, Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev P.M.B. 181, Gboko-Benue State

³Agricultural Engineering Technology Department, Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev-Benue State.

Email: agriculture4truelife@gmail.com, tombowuapaul@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Despite Nigeria’s abundant natural resources, demographic figures according to recent reports rank the country as very poor because of underdeveloped human and economic resources. Nigeria’s economy is mono – cultural, depending on oil, with majority of her citizens living in abject poverty, as a result of unemployment. The paper therefore focuses on the role of entrepreneurship education in diversifying Nigeria’s economy. The Nigerian government must encourage the diversification of her economy which is largely depended on oil, which is subject to such consequences as volatility of price, depletion and unfavorable quota system. Entrepreneurship education is suggested as an imperative for diversifying the Nigerian economy. The paper recommends among others, that, entrepreneurship education should be incorporated in the curricula of secondary schools as it is done in higher institutions to encourage the youths to be job creators instead of job seekers. This, the government can achieve through well articulated polices that will stabilize the value of the naira to the dollar so as to provide an entrepreneurial skills that can bring about long-lasting economic diversification measure.

Keywords: Diversification, Economy, Entrepreneurship, Education