Entrepreneurship Skills and Entrepreneurial Intent of Graduating Students of Selected Universities in Northwestern Nigeria

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue II, February 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Entrepreneurship Skills and Entrepreneurial Intent of Graduating Students of Selected Universities in Northwestern Nigeria

Muhammad Kabir Abbas¹, Olutayo K. Osunsan^2
1Department of Business Administration, Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina State-Nigeria
²Department of Business and Management, College of Economics and Management (CEM), Kampala International University, Uganda

Abstract:-This study examined the effect of entrepreneurship skills on entrepreneurial intent of graduating students of selected Universities in Northwestern Nigeria. The study employed cross-sectional survey design. A sample of 364 successfully returned self-administered questionnaires were used in the final analysis. Frequencies, percentages and mean were used as descriptive statistics, while linear regression analysis was used to determine the effect entrepreneurial skills on entrepreneurial intent. The study showed that personal skills significantly affect entrepreneurial intent among graduating students (Adjusted R²=0.131, p=0.000<0.05). Furthermore, technical skills was found to significantly affect entrepreneurial intent among graduating students (Adjusted R²=0.386, p=0.000<0.05). In addition, business management skills was found to significantly affect entrepreneurial intent among graduating students (Adjusted R²=0.392, p=0.000<0.05). The study concluded that personal characteristics, technical and business management are probable skill requirements for entrepreneurial intent. The study recommended that universities should adopt instructional methods that equip students with personal, technical and business management skills.

Key words: entrepreneurial skills, entrepreneurial intent, personal skills, technical skills, business skill

I. INTRODUCTION

In the past two decades, governments across the globe have come to regard entrepreneurship as a viable option for solving the unemployment problem among graduates in this 21st century[1]. Indeed entrepreneurship has been embraced as an important element that is able to cause rapid economic growth and consequent improvement in the welfare of young people[2]. However, entrepreneurship alone is not complete until it is incorporated in the institutions of higher learning as entrepreneurship education program. In Europe, entrepreneurship education was introduced in high schools and universities to promote creativity, innovativeness, and competitiveness[3]. In Indonesia,[4]explained that entrepreneurship education is highly considered as a prerequisite for gaining business skills that would help graduates in creating and managing a business venture.

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