ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AND THE CHALLENGES OF NATIONAL AGENDA - ESSENCE IN THE NIGERIAN LOCAL BASED SKILLS
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Abstract
Issues surrounding the present debate of this paper draw their inspirations from the topic itself which lends credence to three interlocking issues that most describe the need for the Nigerian government in its national development agenda to pragmatically focus its developmental policy thrust on entrepreneurship education at the grass-root. First andforemost, entrepreneurship education and national development are symbiotic and mutually re-enforcing-which Schumpeter (1857) describes as “a catalytic agent in the socio-economic advancement of a nation ”. And it constitutes vital engine in economic growth and development. Secondly, the issue of national agenda in Nigeria is a very complex debate as what constitutes good development agenda varies widely from one state to another and from one ethnic grouping to another. Thirdly, entrepreneurship development in any countries of the world had never thrived exclusively without incorporating the local based knowledge, skills, and talents exhibited by the people of such countries. This concept is the direct opposite of the Nigerian entrepreneurship education concept. This paper examines the essence and need to enshrine entrepreneurship education compulsorily in primary school curriculum through secondary to higher education. But from the conceptual and practical examinations conducted, the paper discovered that, the issue of entrepreneurship education as perceived at the primary and secondary school levels implies children going to market and buy brooms, baskets, mats plastics, plates etc and submit for arts and craft and marks obtained. The paper recommends the application of the “theory of meritocracy thesis and the ant business model in which people will be given equal opportunity to training and development. And where children in schools will be taught to practically involve in mat, or basket weaving, clay pot production, broom making, carving etc.