LEVEL OF ACQUISITION OF ENTREPRENEURIAL INNOVATION SKILLS BY POSTGRADUATE BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS FOR SELF-SUSTAINABILITY IN RIVERS STATE

The study ascertained the level of acquisition of entrepreneurial innovation skills by postgraduate business education students for self-sustainability in Rivers State. One research
question aided the study and one hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The design
of the study was descriptive survey. A total of 298 business education postgraduate students in
two Rivers State universities made up the population. 44 postgraduate business education
students in Rivers State University and 254 postgraduate business education students in Ignatius
Ajuru University of Education in Rivers State. The instrument for data collection was a
structured questionnaire tittled: Entrepreneurial Innovation Skills Acquisition Questionnaire
(EISAQ). Three experts validated the instrument and a reliability test using Cronbach Alpha
method yielded an internal consistency index of 0.86. Mean ratings and standard deviation
were used to answer the research question while t-test for large group mean was used to test the
hypothesis at a significance at 0.05. The findings of the study revealed that business education
postgraduate students acquired moderate level of entrepreneurial innovation, skills for selfsustainability. The findings of the study also revealed that postgraduate business education
students in Rivers State University and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education did not differ
significantly regarding the level of acquisition of entrepreneurial innovation skills for selfsustainability. Based on the findings, conclusion was drawn that entrepreneurial innovation
skills acquired by postgraduate business education students for self-sustainability was
necessary. Lack or absence of these skills negatively affected graduates embarking on any
business ventures was led to business failures. It was recommended among others that graduate
students of business education must be able to maintain entrepreneurial characteristics and
traits by finding solution to problems that arise when operating business ventures. The courage
to continue the business will lead to success and self-sustainability. Entrepreneurship centres in
universities or other tertiary institutions in Nigeria must be equipped and utilized to assist
institutions to bridge the gap created by the theoretical nature of entrepreneurial programmes in
institutions.

Skills, Entrepreneurial innovation skills, Business education, Acquisition, Self sustainability,

View PDF

Agbeze, L. (2012). Entrepreneurship: The need to create wealth… why not now? Ohafia Today.
2(32): 7 – 12.
Agbola, J. O. (2015). Critical challenges confronting business education programme in
contemporary Nigeria. Nigeria Journal of Business Education, 2(3), 2-13
Anukan, A.I. (2013). Entrepreneurial skill acquisition and entrepreneurial marketing. Owerri:
Chukwuemeka Publishers
Evans, W. (2011).Impact of addressing accountability demand in the United States.Quality in
Higher Education, 16 (2), 181-183.
Godfrey, O. N. (2013). The rhetoric and reality of “quality” in higher education: An
Investigation into staff perceptions of quality in Universities. Journal of Quality
Assurance in Education 15(3), 287-301
Hassan, O. M. (2013). Curbing the unemployment problem in Nigeria through entrepreneurial
development.African Journal of Business Management, 7(44), 4429-4444. Retrieved
17th August, 2016, from http://www.academicjournals.org/AJBM.
Idioko, C.U. (2014). Skill acquisition and youth empowerment in Nigeria.Global Journal of
Commerce and Managerial Perspective 3(1), 51-54
Iheanacho, E.N.O. (2011). Entrepreneurial training: Doing it right abinito. Okene Vocational
Education Journal. 1(1), 106-113
Mike, U.(2014) Importance of skill acquisition: dynamics of skill acquisition. Journal of
Educational and Social Research 5(2), 100-108
Momoh, G. (2012). Integrating entrepreneurship skills and ICTcompetencies and 21stcentury
business educators.Journal of Vocational Business Educators, 1 (1), 12-18.
Ochiagha, C.C (2011). Theory and practice of career development, Enugu: Snap Press Limited
Ofoye, O.J. & Asarah, M. (2015). Skills acquisition through fine and applied arts in Nigeria:
Problems and prospects. Journal of Qualitative Education. 6 (1) 139-145
Ogbonna, M.N. (2017). Restructuring teacher education as an instrument for achieving selfreliance and sustainable development in Nigeria.Journal of Education and Practice,
4(3), 51-56
Okolie, U.C. & Ogbaekirigwe, C. (2014).Entrepreneurship development through vocational
education training issues and roles in skills acquisition and manpower development in a
developing Economy.Journal of Education Policy and Entrepreneurial Research
(JEPER), 1 (2), 151-157. Retrieved 15th October, 2016 from www.iistc.org.
Okpara, F. O. (2007). The value of creativity and innovation in entrepreneurship.Journal of Asia
Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, 3 (2), 1-14.
Thom-Otuya, V. C. & Thom, Otuya, B. E. N. (2008). Enhancing sustainable development
through the promoting and entrepreneurial skills in the Niger-Delta development.
Journal of Pedagogy and International Development, 13(1), 55-62
Ubulom, W. (2012).A model of evaluation of business education programme.Developing
Country Studies, 2(11), 152-158
Ugwuda, A. O. (2014). Mathematics education: A vehicle for quality entrepreneurial skills and
competencies for attaining vision. British Journal of Education 2(5), 48-56