CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
INTRODUCTION
Human economic development through a well-planned education and training initiatives will help to heavily contribute to promotion of individuals’ interest and ambition within the nation (Egwu, 2009). Helping individuals to be gainfully employed technical and vocational education and training (TVET) can have positive impact on the economic development, achieving full employment and promoting social inclusion. TVET programmes are defined as those skill based programmes mainly to help prepare students for straight entry into desired or interested occupations. The successful completion of the programme leads to a technical and vocational qualification which is very relevant in the labour market and well recognized the Ministry of Education (MoE) and employer’s associations in Nigeria in where it is obtained (UNESCO, 2007). Entrepreneurship activities on the other hand has been beneficial because the Nigerian private sector comprising of small and medium enterprises provides diverse employment opportunities for over 50 percent of the country’s population and 50 percent of the industrial output (Ariyo, 2005; Oyelola et al, 2013). Many other countries have been able to strengthen and transform entrepreneurship centres that are available within their jurisdictions to vibrant and exciting one sand with the help of that, unemployment and poverty have been reduced to a minimal level. Unfortunately, reverse is the case here in Nigeria. The Report released by The World Bank on the Nigerian Economic in 2011 revealed that unemployment rate worsened from “12% of the working population in 2006 to 24% in 2011”. Being among the top richest states in terms of crude oil production and large federal allocation in the country, unemployment rate in Akwa Ibom State is also increasing at an alarming rate. This is not only in Akwa Ibom State but it is a common phenomenon throughout the whole country. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) as at 2010, the unemployment rate of Akwa Ibom State was the second highest in the south-south zone with 36.1%. Available records clearly show that in the last two decades of the independence of Nigeria as a sovereign nation (1960s and 1970s), unemployment and its attendant consequence: poverty, were not of national concern as they are today. The rate at which graduates entering the labour market in the country in this recession Years is uncontrollable and this is bringing unemployment, under-employment and the stress of social hazards associated with joblessness and prolonged inactivity.” According to the international labour centre, the collective frustration among youth had been a contributing factor to protest movements around the world this year, and this has led to a difficulty for graduates and young people to and only part-time, menial and temporary work. Governments across the globe are struggling to and innovative solutions through labour market interventions such as addressing skills mismatches, job search support and entrepreneurship training. This study investigated the impact of entrepreneurship centres on job creation in Nigeria, a case study of university of Uyo entrepreneurship centre. Government at all levels have come up with several policies in other to stimulate entrepreneurship development via and small and medium scale enterprises based on technology transfer strategy, were unsuccessful in the achievement of the desired goals as it led to the most indigenous entrepreneurs turning to distribution agents of foreign products in contrast to building in-country entrepreneurial capacity for manufacturing, mechanized agriculture and expert services (Adebobola, 2014). According to Chu, Kara, Benzing (2010); Nwaka (2005); Oyelola Ajiboshin, Raimi, Raheem and Igwe (2013), between 45 and 60 percent of the urban labour force engage in small private enterprises which is believed to have contributed greatly to job creation in Nigeria. Entrepreneurship on the other hand has been beneficial because the Nigerian private sector comprising of mostly entrepreneurship centers and small and medium enterprises provides diverse employment opportunities for over 50 percent of the country’s population and 50 percent of the industrial output (Ariyo, 2005; Oyelola et al, 2013). Many other countries have been able to strengthen and transform entrepreneurship sub-sector to such a vibrant and exciting industry such that they have been able to reduce significantly their unemployment and poverty level because of the huge and enormous contribution of the sub-sector to their economic growth and development (Onugu, 2005). Regrettably, this cannot be said about Nigeria as the case is different.
Job creation has emerged as the single most critical economic challenge facing the world today. Anxiety over employment problems and pessimist over the prospects for solving the problem prevail in many parts of the world. Most Americans earn money by working in business. Business is the buying and selling of product services in order to make profit someone who earns a living by working for another person else business is an employee of that business. At Ford motor company, some employee builds the cars, some sell the cars, and some manage the company. But employees all have one thing in common, they do not own a business, they work for others while some people started and own a business of their own and work for themselves. They are called Entrepreneur is often both owner and employees. Omoluabi, (2014)
Creating Job as an entrepreneur is a function of metal ability that is individual has to learn on how to think of what is lacking in an environment, ability to provide or supply to the environment whereby satisfying those needs is what makes individual entrepreneur and job creator Omoluabi, (2014). Entrepreneurship is so much more than just learning to run your own business. It is an approach to life that involves thinking of you as a can-do person. After all, if you can start your own business, you can do just about anything (steve, 2006). Even when work for other, one can still think like an entrepreneur. How?, one has to always look for opportunities to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities, show your employers that you understand business and you are working to improve the profitability of the country (Mariotti, 2006). The practice of entrepreneurship is not intended to be a comprehensive theoretical view, but a practical approach to the field. The 1989 industrial policy stipulated that the economy of Nigeria should be private sector driven. The entrepreneur is the drivers. Therefore, they are expected to drive efficiently towards the transformation of the economy to the promise land and in accordance with the National Economic Entrepreneurship and Development strategy (NEEDS) Okpara (2005).
