EXPLORING THE ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION ON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SKILLS AMONG STUDENTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS: A STUDY OF COVENANT UNIVERSITY, OTA

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of entrepreneurial education on the cultivation of business abilities in students at tertiary institutions, specifically at Covenant University. Tertiary institutions should provide students with the necessary financial, marketing, operational and leadership skills necessary to develop and maintain a business. Entrepreneurial education acts as a catalyst for cultivating creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills in students, empowering them to excel in corporate landscapes. This study aims to examine how entrepreneurial education influences the essential business growth skills, including financial management, marketing, operations, and leadership, in students. The primary variables examined in the study encompass curriculum content, teaching methods, resource availability, and faculty expertise, all of which relate to entrepreneurial education, while financial, marketing, operational, and leadership competencies highlight the different facets of business development skills. This study is based on the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Expectancy Theory, which serve as the theoretical framework for comprehending the conversion of educational inputs into skill acquisition. A quantitative survey design was utilised, focussing on a population of 6496 students, with questionnaires sent to a purposively and randomly selected sample of 377 individuals. The findings demonstrated a favourable correlation between entrepreneurial education and the cultivation of business abilities, suggesting that effective educational methodologies substantially improve students' preparedness for entrepreneurial endeavours and leadership positions in the business world.