Unlocking the Entrepreneurial Potentials of Undergraduates in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike Nigeria: The Role of Lecturers

Abstract

University students are not graduating with relevant skills in preparation for the labour market. The Federal Government of Nigeria in recognition of this, introduced entrepreneurship centres in universities. However, it is not just the students who need to be encouraged to have entrepreneurial mindset but the teachers as well. The objective of the study was to assess the readiness of teachers in the development of students’ cognitive skills to foster entrepreneurial mindset. The study area was in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. All the 22 lecturers in the entrepreneurship centre were purposively selected while Multi-stage sampling procedure was used in sample selection of students. Out of 10 colleges in the University, 5 were randomly selected, followed by random selection of 50 final-year students, giving 250 respondents. Data collected with questionnaire and focus group discussion were analysed using descriptive statistics like frequencies, percentages and regression model. Findings indicated students were exposed to different skills; bead-making (8.4%), poultry production (9.2%), hairdressing (12%) confectionaries (26.4%) and tailoring (3.2%). On level of knowledge skills exposed to them, about 38% of the respondents had high knowledge while 62% had low knowledge. The findings revealed about 82% of the course lecturers lacked adequate training to help them teach effectively, while 18% had acquired the skill through self-sponsored training and conferences. Therefore, the paper concludes that the students were ill equipped to succeed in work places and teachers were not properly trained to meet the challenges. The paper recommends government should train teachers to make employability skills the top priority, to enable graduates make a success of their working life.