Entrepreneurship, Small Business Creation and Economic Development: Business Education Perspective

ETOKEREN, M.S.

Department of Business Education

College of Education, Afaha Nsit, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

E-mail: nikerous@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Descriptively, entrepreneurship is noted as that aspect of education which acknowledges that society is here and now and not something in the future. Entrepreneurship education curriculum exact in the trainees sense of industry that will integrate them into the society and elicit in them the responsibility to appreciate that wealth is never from the blues but something worked for and accumulated in free but limited social participation in the society of work. Consequently there exist inextricable linkage between entrepreneurship education, small business creation and economic development. The core concept of entrepreneurial education is to fit trainees into the world of work that would, in concrete terms, translate into meaningful relationship between the trainee’s self-worth, and robust social relationship. All of these are critical precursors to the trainees’ socio-economic and socio-political impetus in the society. This in effect prevents alienation of the trainees from the society and alienation is the crux to social and economic dislocation that thwarts peace, social and economic development of any given society. However there exist litanies of challenges that impede the development of entrepreneurial education which need to be surmounted. These include among others; government policies, environmental and social factors as well as lack of adequate skilled manpower in our various educational institutions. This paper proffers ideas considered appropriate to mitigate these challenges and subsequently concludes that entrepreneurship, small business creation are critical to economic development of any society.