The Impact of Entrepreneurship Education Management on Unemployment Reduction Among Tertiary Institution Graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria.

The Impact of Entrepreneurship Education Management on Unemployment Reduction Among Tertiary Institution Graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria.

Obona, Edut Egbe, Andeshi Wendi Alorye & Udang, Joseph Akor
Department of Educational Management, Faculty of Educational Foundation Studies University of Calabar.

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2023.7615

Received: 14 May 2023; Accepted: 30 May 2023; Published: 26 June 2023

ABSTRACT

One major challenge in Nigeria today is unemployment. Among this unemployed population are graduates of tertiary institutions. Many stakeholders have expressed concern over the large numbers of graduates produced yearly without commensurate employment opportunities. To address this challenge, the federal government through the National Universities commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), approved the introduction of entrepreneurship education into the curricula of the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. The increase in unemployment among graduates of tertiary institution is an indication that the objectives of entrepreneurship education has not been fully attained and this calls to question the management of entrepreneurship education in the nations tertiary institutions. This study examined the impact of entrepreneurship education management on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria. Three null hypotheses were developed to guide the study. The descriptive survey research design was adopted. Census technique was adopted in selecting the entire population of 113 entrepreneurship education management staff of five tertiary institutions in Cross River State. An instrument titled Impact of Entrepreneurship Education Management on Unemployment Reduction Among Tertiary Institution Graduates Questionnaire (IEEMURATIGQ) was used for data collection. It was validated by five experts. The reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha and it ranges from 0.79 – 0.88. The null hypothesis was tested at .05 level of significance using Simple and Multiple Linear Regression. The results of the study reveals that planning entrepreneurship programme, staff supervision and student mentoring have significant impact on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria. The study recommended among others, that   entrepreneurship education must be efficiently planed to facilitate the smooth attainment of set goals and objectives, namely job creation and unemployment reduction.

Key Words: Entrepreneurship Education, Management, unemployment reduction, graduates.

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

In recent times, one of the major concerns of most developing nations like Nigeria is how to tackle the rising tide of unemployment, attain reasonable success in poverty reduction, wealth creation and promote socio-economic development. A distinguishing feature between tertiary education institutions and other institutions in any society is their role in producing high-potential graduates and researchers (Ayomide, Olubukola, & Adeolu, 2019). Tertiary institutions are among other things expected to build up and equip their graduates with requisite knowledge and skills for empowerment and self-reliance. Unfortunately, the long held perception of getting a desired job and to earn a comfortable living soon after graduation from tertiary institutions has led to an increase in the number of unemployed graduates across the country.  Parents and concerned stakeholders in education have continuously expressed fear and worry as tertiary institutions produces graduates yearly without commensurate employment opportunities (Jacobs, Ezeokafor, & Ekwere, 2021). Unemployment in Nigeria has now become like a “problematic child” and it is giving government serious concerns as they to provide a lasting solution problem (Ojeifo, 2013). Likewise, media information and daily experiences clearly portrays the scourge of graduates’ unemployment in Nigeria, a development that is threatening the nation’s economy.

Unemployment is defined by Gbosi (2006) in Ayomide, Olubukola, and Adeolu (2019) as a situation in which people who are willing to work at the prevailing wage rate are unable to find jobs. Ayomide, Olubukola, and Adeolu (2019) see unemployment as the difference between the  gainfully employed at the wages and working conditions that exist in a country, and the amount of labor available in that country. World Bank (2009) defines unemployment as the share of the work force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. The rising rate of graduate unemployment in Nigeria is worrisome and is one of the greatest challenges facing its economy over the years (Ayomide, Olubukola, & Adeolu, 2019; Andow, 2020).  Statistics have shown that over sixty percent of Nigerian population is made up of young people below the age of 35. About eighty percent of these youths are either unemployable, unemployed or under–employed and this made many observers to predict that the Nigerian Youthful Population is like a time bomb waiting to be detonated (National Bureau of Statistics, 2016).

With over 306-degree awarding institutions and an annual enrolment of 2 million, every year, Nigeria produce about 600,000 graduates into the already saturated market in search of employment (The Vanguard, 17^th Dec, 2019; Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, 2020).  The rate of unemployment in Nigeria has contributed to the nation’s disappointing performance on core human development indices (HDI) such as quality of life, literacy, health care, life expectancy among others (United Nation Development Programme (UNDP), 2020). From 2007 to 2017, youth unemployment in Nigeria had grown from 9.85% to 13.41% (Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, 2016; Statista, 2019).

In fact, Saturday, 15th of March 2014 will never be forgotten in a hurry. It was a dark day in Nigerian youth unemployment history. About 500,000 young, fresh and old graduates had gathered in five different centers across the country to write an aptitude test for only 4,556 available government jobs (Ajijah & Isine, 2014 cited in Amuda, Zubairu, Ibrahim & Maitala, 2019).  Unfortunately, a stampedes across the five centers led to the loss of 16 lives whose hope of a better future would never again be realized (VOA News, 2014). The ugly incident revealed that youth unemployment in Nigeria has not only led to social problems but to actual loss of promising lives (Okoh, 2014; Akanle & Omotayo, 2019; Chinwokwu & Michael, 2019). Ojeaga and Owolabi (2011) also lamented that Nigeria faces a major problem of graduate unemployment.

The situation is the same in Cross River State. Odike, Okolo and Otoh (2023) reported that unemployment rate in recent time got worst in Nigeria and Cross River State in particular. Eton & Omorobi (2021) noted that over 65% of graduate lack appropriate mindset to face the challenges in the labor market. In the view of Ojeifo (2012), graduates are now white-collar job seekers with no special entrepreneurial skills. The researchers equally observed that many graduates are yet to secure a job even years after graduation. These unemployed youths have become militants and “area boys” to target the very society that alienated them (Liolio, 2013 cited in Andow, 2020). It is not possible to think of unemployment reduction in Nigeria without first and foremost considering the indices that led to its existence.  Some researchers lamented the fact Nigeria educational institutions focus more on teaching the students how to master the various subjects and less on how to relate those subjects to solving its problems. Also, students are generally educated in areas like arts and sciences which have given rise to what is noted as “white collar job syndrome” hence the increase in unemployment among graduates (Odike, Okolo & Otoh, 2023; Akhuemonkhan, Raimi & Sofoluwe; 2013). The issue is traceable to the disequilibrium between labour market requirements and lack of essential employable skills by the graduates as well as the type of education students receive while in school (Alabi, Alanana & Bahal, 2014).

In order to reduce the rate of unemployment among the numerous Nigerian graduates found on the streets with impressive certificates but without meaningful means of livelihood, the concept of Technical and Vocational Education (TVE), and Entrepreneurial Education was introduce into Nigerian tertiary education.  Through the National Universities commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), the government approved the introduction of entrepreneurship education into the curricula of the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education and the adoption of entrepreneurship studies as a compulsory course irrespective of students’ areas of specialization (Yahya, 2014). The government has made several efforts to create jobs for the youths yet there is still a high rate of unemployment especially among university graduates as many of them have been without job even years after graduation. In spite of the introduction of entrepreneurship education into the university curriculum and its recognition as a tool for employment creation, majority of Nigerian university graduates are still unemployed years after graduation. This may be due to poor management of entrepreneurship education programmes in the nation’s tertiary institutions. Based on these situation, it becomes necessary to examine the impact of entrepreneurship education management on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Entrepreneurship education and its objectives

Entrepreneurship education has been an age-long tradition, a culture that has been transferred consistently from one generation to another within the diverse ethnic nationalities in Nigeria (Odike, Okolo & Otoh, 2023). Entrepreneurial education is defined as a “structured learning that inculcates in students/trainees the ability to identify, screen and seize available opportunities in the environment in addition to skill acquisition” (Dim, Akpunonu, & Muogbo, 2016). Adebayo and Kolawole (2013) described entrepreneurship education as a specialized training given to help the students or trainees to acquire skills, ideas, abilities and capabilities for self-employment than employed for wage pay. Similarly, Maina (2013) sees entrepreneurial education as part of the educational system that involves the acquisition of skills, ideas and management abilities necessary for job creation. UNESCO (2008) stated that entrepreneurship education is all kinds of experiences that give students the ability and vision of how to access and transform opportunities of different kinds. Thus, entrepreneurship education involves more than just business establishment. It offers the students the tools needed to think creatively, analyze a business idea objectively and then solve problems effectively.

The main objectives of entrepreneurship education are: to provide an education that will make the students to be self-reliant; to provide the training and support needed to establish a career in small and medium size businesses; to equip the students with skills that will make them meet the manpower needs of the society; to help the students develop creative and innovative ability that will help them to identify new business opportunities, among others (Odike, Okolo & Otoh, 2023). Akpama, Esang, Asor and Osang (2011) stated that entrepreneurial training in form of vocational training is the tool needed to tackle the unemployment situation in Nigeria. Ezeanokwasa and Nwachukwu (2014), examined the effect of entrepreneurship skills in reducing unemployment through small business innovation in Nigeria and discovered a significant relationship exists between effective entrepreneurial skills and unemployment in Nigeria.  Tambari and Popnwin (2017), investigated the role of entrepreneurial education in the reduction of unemployment among Nigerian graduates and found that Skills such as welding and fabrication, food and catering services, electrical installation among others can make Nigerian graduates entrepreneurs to reduce unemployment.

Entrepreneurship education management

Management is the judicious utilization of human, material, financial and time resources towards the achievement of organizational goals (Akpakwu, 2012). Ogbonnaya, Oboegbulem, Onwurah and Enyi (2015) define management as the interactional process involving a sequence of coordinated activities such as planning, organizing, coordinating and controlling in order to utilize available resources to achieve a desired outcome in the fastest and most efficient way. Management involves the intelligent, systematic and technical process of planning, organizing, coordinating and supervision of both human and material resources for the effective attainment of organizational goals and objectives (Omorobi, 2018; Omorobi & Edut, 2019).

Management of entrepreneurship education is the application of managerial principles like planning, goal setting, organization, coordination to the administration of entrepreneurship programmes in schools (Eton & Omorobi, 2021). Indeed, the success of the failure of entrepreneurial programme depend largely on its effective and efficient management. Therefore, effective management of entrepreneurship education is a key factor in enhancing self-empowerment and unemployment reduction (Sule, 2013) among graduates. Similarly, effective planning, coordination, supervision and evaluation have been identified as basic elements for enhanced value for money invested in entrepreneurship programmes (Usman, Bazza & Andow, 2018). The management of entrepreneurship education programmes in universities involves the provision of quality training to help the students acquire knowledge and skills needed to become productive. It is done through the application of management practices some of which are planning, controlling, coordinating, mentoring, monitoring and supervision. Good programme management strategies creates enabling environment for the learners to thrive in their chosen careers. Similarly, effective management of entrepreneurship programme is essential for students’ empowerment and reduction of unemployment, poverty and social vices (Sule, 2013). Efficiently managed entrepreneurship education programme produces graduates with high entrepreneurial mindset that stimulate venture creation (Akuegwu, Edet & Akeke, 2021). However, Osuji and Amie-Ogan (2018) laments the poor outcome in spite of the efforts by regulatory bodies towards ensuring a smooth running of entrepreneurship programmes. This could be attributed to poor programmes planning, staff supervision and student mentoring.

Planning refers to the process of setting future goals and developing key strategies for achieving them. Eton and Omorobi (2021) sees planning as making decisions on how resources can be gotten, managed, utilized and sustained so as to attain the objectives of entrepreneurship education. Planning of entrepreneurship programme entails the selection of qualified and experienced teachers and resource persons to facilitate the training, allocation of adequate space and for the programme, providing the required technologies, facilities and functional equipment for lectures and experiments. Rational planning of entrepreneurship will result in effective learning which enhances venture creation ability among students. Many educational plans fail due to ineffective planning (Eton & Omorobi, 2021). The researchers defined planning as a process which involves deciding in advance the specific future course of action to be adopted and a rational use of available resources towards goal attainment. Omorobi, Mbon, Owan and Ekpenyong (2019) observed that inadequate planning of human resource, infrastructure and facilities for higher education are major factors that cripple the higher education sector.

Majaha (2015) found out that strategic planning practices had a positive influence on the performance of corporations. Planning is a management tool that helps an organization to focus its energy toward specific objectives, to ensure that staff of the organization work toward the same objectives. Managers of universities are expected to plan in advance about the quality and type of human resource, facilities and funds required for smooth implementation of entrepreneurship curriculum. Obilo, Akuakanwa and Ibebuike (2018) in their study discovered that planning of educational resources significantly influence its utilizations. The study revealed that there is a significant relationship between planning and management of educational resources. It also revealed a significant difference between the academic performance of students found in schools with well-planned educational resources and those in schools without proper planning.

Supervision is essential because it influences the teachers to work towards the attainment of the programme goals.  Supervision is the process through which the inherent work and potentialities of subordinates are challenged, developed and utilized Okure (2010). Supervision of staff is key to helping students to acquire the right skills, knowledge and experiences that give them the ability to access and transform opportunities of different kinds (Enu, 2012). It involves meeting regularly and interacting with staff to review their work. Supervision is essential for the success of every activity. It involves ensuring that the teachers understand their delegated tasks. This is done by monitoring the teachers’ productivity and providing constructive feedback and coaching.

Poor supervision hinders the smooth attainment of the goals of the entrepreneurship programme. Thus, close supervision of academic staff and resource persons during course content delivery in class and practical sessions is essential to enhance the quality of teaching and learning experience of the students.  Similarly, supervision of instruction will ensure the achievement of the goals of skills acquisition and job creation. Ismail and Sidiki  (2016)  opined  that  supervision  mold  students  towards  developing  mutual aptitude  like  good  relationship, better  communication and confidentiality. The National Open University of Nigeria (2018) reported that effective planning and supervision is crucial in enhancing the effectiveness of entrepreneurship programmes.

Mentoring is one of the management strategies that helps to inculcate the spirit of entrepreneurship education in students in other to become job creators for themselves and other graduates (Makaye, 2015).  Ajayi and Ogunmola (2015) cited in Msughter and Ahon, (2020) defined mentoring as the process through which an individual is assisted in making significant transition in knowledge, work or thinking. It is an initiative which provides guidance to help students make informed decision. Mentoring provides focused instruction for students without an opportunity to receive formal training in a particular field. It involves guiding and encouraging the students to reach their maximum potentials by giving them counsel concerning their potential careers, considering their interests and social experience. Midigo, Omia, Odundo, and Mwanda (2018) sees mentorship is a lifelong relationship in which a mentor helps a mentee develop full potential in career chosen pathways.

It also means assisting an individual to make significant transition  in  knowledge,  work  or thinking (Wilson, 2010).  The current situation of knowledge and skills acquisition among university students is of serious concern to stakeholders in education (Erabyelenwo, Ofuase, & Julius, 2022). Mentoring involves the  facilitator  providing instructions and guide to  help  the students appreciate the need to develop relevant skills. Effective student mentoring will guide the students in selecting the appropriate skill to go for. Midigo, Omia, Odundo, and Mwanda (2018) investigated the influence of mentorship on post-secondary school student’s attitude towards career and choice for further education. The study utilized quantitative data collection methods to collect data from 67 post-secondary education students on attitude towards career and further education pathways. The study found out that sustained mentorship improves attitude of students towards further education and career pathways. The study also revealed that mentorship had positive influence on the attitude of post-secondary school students on their career preparations. The management of entrepreneurship education programme is done in designated centers across all universities. The programme managers and directors are saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that students receive quality instruction and training provided are passed to the students. This is what will help the graduates to develop the right mindset, acquire vocational skills needed to create jobs for themselves, for others and thus reduce unemployment.

Entrepreneurship and unemployment reduction

The increasing rate of unemployment in Nigeria is indeed worrisome, thus begging for the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria, to provide lasting solutions to the problem, because the higher the rate of unemployment within the federation, the higher the level of poverty, crime, death rate, and other problems associated with unemployment (Agwu, 2020). The researcher further opined that entrepreneurship has been found to be an un-ignorable cure for unemployment and its devastating effects. Entrepreneurship education is meant to arouse in students’ the spirit of entrepreneurial skills, self-sufficiency and working capacity in other to reduce unemployment and to develop the national economy (Asmani, 2011). Entrepreneurship education can be a significant factor in the reduction unemployment if the trainings are given are well tailored towards instilling an entrepreneurship mindset among the students (Agwu, 2020). Empirically, numerous studies have shown the impact of entrepreneurship on unemployment reduction in several context. Fajana (2000) as cited in Agwu (2020) reported that unemployment is an unpleasant problem in an individual’s life where despite the willingness and ability to work, finds it difficult to acquire a suitable paying job.

Salami (2011) noted that many youths are unskilled, cannot match the requirements for employment, do not have adequate practical knowledge and experience on how to be independent, especially as regards leveraging on entrepreneurship and this is one of the main reasons for growing unemployment among graduates in Nigeria. Thus the educational system has been tasked to educate and empower them through training and skill acquisition directed at creating employment for themselves instead of depending sorely on the government for survival. Similarly, Chinonye, Oludayo, Akinbode, Agboola, Oluyomi, Oluwatobi and Chugamonu, (2015) cited in Agwu (2020) stated that to reduce unemployment among students, entrepreneurship education should be a process that will not only teach them theories and findings, but also practically train them to create wealth for themselves and become self-employed. The problem of unemployment could be minimized through entrepreneur education if it is properly managed to educate, motivate, encourage and empower the student to start a business right from school and diligently grows it to become a foundation for employment generation in future. There seems to be scarcity of research concerning the impact of entrepreneurship education management on unemployment reduction among graduates in universities in Cross River State. This study thus seeks to fill the gap in knowledge and provide an understanding of the impact of entrepreneurship education management on unemployment reduction among graduates in universities in Cross River State, Nigeria.

THEORETICAL REVIEW

Need for Achievement Theory (NAT) of McClelland (1965). The theory shows that there is a strong relationship between the need for achievement, economic development and entrepreneurial activities. Proponent of the theory explains that there would be a relatively greater amount of entrepreneurial activities in the society, where the average level of need achievement is relatively high (McClelland, 1965). The relevance of the theory is that when students are encouraged to see the need for success in life through entrepreneurship education, they will appreciate the opportunity to learn how to become self-reliant and also set up their own businesses after graduation.

Objective of the Study

The study sought to examine the impact of entrepreneurship education management on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to:

1. Determine the impact of planning entrepreneurship programme on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria.
2. Ascertain the impact of staff supervision on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria.
3. Investigate the impact of student mentoring on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria.

Research Questions

1. To what extent does planning entrepreneurship programme affect unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria?
2. To what extent does staff supervision affect unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria?
3. To what extent does student mentoring affect unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria?

Research hypotheses

1. There is no significant impact of planning entrepreneurship programme on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria.
2. Staff supervision does not have any significant impact on unemployment reduction among graduates in tertiary institutions of Cross River State, Nigeria.
3. There is no significant impact of student mentoring on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design: The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The design was chosen because the phenomenon under investigation (Management of Entrepreneurship Education) was a daily practice in the universities and the researchers only wants to investigate how it is being practiced, and it impact unemployment reduction among university graduates.

Area of study: The study was carried out in five tertiary institutions in Cross River State namely: University of Calabar; University of Cross River State; Aurthur Jarvis University; College of Education Akamkpa and Federal College of Education Obudu. Cross River State has eighteen (18) Local Government Areas with Calabar as its capital.  It is one of the seven states that make up Nigeria’s South-geopolitical zone and is located in the middle belt area of Nigeria. The state shares boundary with the Republic of Cameroon to the east, Benue state to the north, Ebonyi and Abia States to the west, Akwa Ibom and Atlantic Ocean to the South respectively.

Population of the study: The population of the study comprised all 113 entrepreneurship education management staff of five tertiary institutions in Cross River State, Nigeria. They are: University of Calabar; University of Cross River State; Aurthur Jarvis University, College of Education Akamkpa and Federal College of Education Obudu, respectively. The entire population were studied due to its manageable size.

Instrumentation: A structured questionnaire modified on a 4-point Likert scale tagged Impact of Entrepreneurship Education Management on Unemployment Reduction Among Tertiary Institution Graduates Questionnaire (IEEMURATIGQ) developed by the researchers was used for data collection. The instrument was divided it into four sections. The first section featured a detailed letter outlining the study’s objectives, participants, estimated completion dates, and informed consent. Section 2 was designed to collect respondents’ biographical information (gender, age, marital status, university attended, and year of graduation). Section 3 contained 15 items that evaluate Entrepreneurship education management structured on a four-point Likert scale, with answer possibilities ranging from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree. Section 4 consisted of a 12-items rating scale asking the respondents to score unemployment status.

Validity: Even though the researchers developed the instrument, it was evaluated by five experts (two from Educational Management; three from Research, Measurement and Evaluation) unit in faculty of Educational Foundations Studies, University of Calabar. Some items were modified while irrelevant one were completely discarded. Thereafter, the instrument was ascertained to be valid and usable.

Reliability: The reliability of the instrument was established through trial testing by administering the instrument first on twenty (20) final year students randomly selected from Akwa-Ibom State University which is outside the study area. Cronbach alpha formula was used to establish the internal consistency of the instrument and the reliability coefficient ranges 0.79 – 0.88. These indicated that the instrument is reliable for the study.

Data collection and analysis: The instrument was administered by the researchers. The whole task was accomplished in 5 days. Entrepreneurship education students were used to assess the program directors, the deputies and academic staff. The students were chosen because as recipients of entrepreneurship education, they are seen as most suitable to provide valid data on the management of entrepreneurship programme in their institutions. At the end of the entire process, all the copies of the instruments were retrieved, and coded for analysis. Inferential statistics of simple linear regression statistical analysis with the help of SPSS v24 was used to test the null hypotheses formulated to guide the study at .05 levels of significance.

RESULTS

Hypothesis one

There is no significant impact of planning entrepreneurship programme on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria. The result of the analysis is presented in Table 1.

Table 1: Simple linear regression analysis of the impact of planning entrepreneurship programme on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates.

Model Summary^b

Coefficients^a

a. Dependent Variable: Unemployment Reduction

 b. Predictors: (Constant), Planning Entrepreneurship Programme

The model summary of the regression analysis presented in table 1 showed that planning entrepreneurship programme has significant impact on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State using R of .789^a, R² of .623 and an Adjusted R Square of .619 of the variables entered. Therefore, the value of R² showed that 62.3% of the variable that accounts for unemployment reduction is planning entrepreneurship programme. What this represents is that the remaining 37.7% in the variation of unemployment reduction could be caused by a number of other variables not shown in the equation represented by the error term. The ANOVA analysis proved that the contribution of the independent variable (planning entrepreneurship programme) to the dependent variable (unemployment reduction) is statistically significant (F _{[1, 111]} = 183.247, p (.000) < .05. Referring to the coefficients in table 1, the unstandardized coefficient for planning entrepreneurship programme is .759. This means for every point increase in dependent variable, there is .759 increase in the independent scores from the questionnaire instrument used. Therefore, since p(.000) is less than p(.05), the null hypothesis which stated that there is no significant impact of planning entrepreneurship programme on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates is rejected. This implies that planning entrepreneurship programme have a significant impact on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State Nigeria.

Hypothesis two

There is no significant impact of staff supervision on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria. The result of the analysis is presented in Table 2.

Table 2: Simple linear regression analysis of the impact of staff supervision on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates.

Model Summary^b

Coefficients^a

1. Dependent Variable: Unemployment Reduction
2. Predictors: (Constant), Staff Supervision

The model summary of the regression analysis presented in table 2 showed that staff supervision has significant impact on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State using R of .824^a, R² of .678 and an Adjusted R Square of .676 of the variables entered. Therefore, the value of R² showed that 67.8% of the variable that accounts for unemployment reduction is staff supervision. What this represents is that the remaining 32.2 % in the variation of unemployment reduction may be caused by a number of other variables not shown in the equation represented by the error term. Also, the ANOVA analysis showed that the contribution of the independent variable (staff supervision) to the dependent variable (unemployment reduction) is statistically significant (F _{[1, 111]} = 234.171, p (.000) < .05. Referring to the coefficients in table 2, the unstandardized coefficient for staff supervision is .698. This means for every point increase in dependent variable, there is .698 increase in the independent scores from the questionnaire instrument used. Therefore, since p(.000) is less than p(.05), the null hypothesis which stated that there is no significant impact of staff supervision on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates is rejected. This implies that staff supervision have a significant impact on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State Nigeria.

Hypothesis three

There is no significant impact of student mentoring on unemployment reduction among graduates in tertiary institutions in Cross River State, Nigeria. The result of the analysis is presented in Table 3.

Table 3: Simple linear regression analysis of the impact of student mentoring on unemployment reduction among graduates in tertiary institutions.

Model Summary^b

ANOVA^a

Coefficients^a

The model summary of the regression analysis presented in table 3 showed that student mentoring has significant impact on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State from R of .859^a, R² of .738 and an Adjusted R Square of .736 of the variables entered. Therefore, the value of R² showed that 73.8% of the variable that accounts for unemployment reduction is student mentoring. This means that the remaining 26.2 % in the variation of unemployment reduction could be caused by a number of other variables. Besides, the ANOVA analysis showed that the contribution of the independent variable (student mentoring) to the dependent variable (unemployment reduction) is statistically significant (F _{[1, 111]} = 312.467, p (.000) < .05. Referring to the coefficients in table 3, the unstandardized coefficient student mentoring is .689. This means for every point increase in dependent variable, there is .689 increase in the independent scores from the questionnaire instrument used. Therefore, since p(.000) is less than p(.05), the null hypothesis which stated that there is no significant impact of student mentoring on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates is rejected. This implies that student mentoring have a significant impact on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State Nigeria.

Hypothesis four

The composite impact of planning entrepreneurship programme, staff supervision and student mentoring on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates as reflected in the hypothesis was ascertained using multiple regression statistical analysis. The hypothesis was tested at .05 level of significant. table 4 present the result of findings.

Table 4: Multiple regression analysis of planning entrepreneurship programme, staff supervision and student mentoring on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria.

Model Summary^b

Coefficients^a

The regression model above can be shown thus; Unemployment Reduction.

= 2.399 + .205(_{planning entrepreneurship education}) + .243(_{staff supervision}) + .380(_{student mentoring})

The model summary of the regression analysis conducted (table 4) showed that planning entrepreneurship programme, staff supervision and student mentoring have a significant impact on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria using R of .901^a, R square of .812 and an Adjusted R Square of .806 of the complete variables entered. Therefore, the value of R² showed that 81.2% of the variables that accounts for unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates are due to ineffective planning of entrepreneurship programme, staff supervision and student mentoring. This suggest that the remaining 18.8% in the variation of unemployment reduction could be caused by a number of other variables. The regression coefficient table revealed that the strongest contributor to the overall coefficient is student mentoring with beta weight of (β = .475) followed by staff supervision (β = .287) and finally planning of entrepreneurship programme (β = .213). It may be deduced that if academic staff are adequately supervised to ensure that they deliver the right content and at the right time to the students, and students are properly mentored to understand the reason why they should take entrepreneurship education, couple with effective planning of the programme, the problem of unemployment among graduates may be drastically reduced.

DISCUSSION

This study was designed to examine the impact of entrepreneurship education management on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State Nigeria. The findings of the study revealed that planning entrepreneurship programme, staff supervision and student mentoring have a statistically significant impact on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State Nigeria. This implies that, efficient management of Entrepreneurship Education programmes could result in student empowerment which is crucial for job creation and unemployment reduction. Planning is a management tool that helps an organization to focus its energy toward specific objectives, to ensure that staff of the organization work toward the same objectives. Managers of universities are expected to plan in advance about the quality and type of human resource, facilities and funds required for smooth implementation of entrepreneurship curriculum. Rational planning of entrepreneurship will result in effective learning which enhances venture creation ability among students. It helps to make the attainment of the goals and objectives of entrepreneurship education a reality. This agrees with the submission of Eton and Omorobi (2021) that many educational plans fail due to ineffective planning. Similarly, Obilo, Akuakanwa and Ibebuike (2018) observed that planning of educational resources significantly influence its utilizations. Therefore, for effective management of entrepreneurship education, programme directors or coordinators must plan well in advance the type of teachers, learning space, duration of the programme as well as the type of equipment needed for the training.

Another findings indicated a significant impact of staff supervision on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State Nigeria. Effective supervision is essential because it influences the teachers to work towards the attainment of the programme goals.  It ensures the achievement of the goals of skills acquisition and job creation. Supervision is essential for the success of every activity. It involves ensuring that the teachers understand their delegated tasks. The above submission is supported by Enu (2012) who reported that supervision of staff is key to helping students to acquire the right skills, knowledge and experiences that give them the ability to access and transform opportunities of different kinds. This is done by monitoring the teachers’ productivity and providing constructive feedback and coaching. Similarly, the National Open University of Nigeria (2018) reported that effective supervision is crucial in enhancing the effectiveness of entrepreneurship programmes. Poor supervision hinders the smooth attainment of the goals of the entrepreneurship programme. Thus, close supervision of academic staff and resource persons during course content delivery and practical sessions will enhance the quality of teaching and learning experience of the students which will help them create jobs for themselves and reduce unemployment as well.

The third finding showed that student mentoring have a significant impact on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State Nigeria. Mentoring involves providing instructions and guide to help  the students appreciate the need to develop relevant skills. Effective student mentoring will guide the students in selecting the appropriate skill to go for. this is in line with the conclusion of Wilson (2010) that mentoring helps an individual to make significant transition in  knowledge,  work  or thinking.  The current situation of knowledge and skills acquisition among university students is of serious concern to stakeholders in education (Erabyelenwo, Ofuase, & Julius, 2022). This finding agrees with Midigo, Omia, Odundo and Mwanda (2018) who discovered that mentorship had positive influence on the attitude of post-secondary school students on their career preparations. Therefore, student mentoring is critical to achieving the most essential goals of entrepreneurship namely self-employment, employment creation for others and unemployment reduction.

CONCLUSION

Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that entrepreneurship education management in terms of planning entrepreneurship program, staff supervision and students mentoring have significant impact on unemployment reduction among tertiary institution graduates in Cross River State, Nigeria.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The following recommendations were made, that:

1. There must be effective planning of entrepreneurship education to facilitate the smooth attainment of the programme set goals and objectives, namely job creation and unemployment reduction.
2. Supervision of academic staff should be regular and thorough in Nigerian universities.
3. The management and academic staff tertiary institution should focus on mentoring students in other to help them become fully prepared to create jobs for themselves and others and thereby reduce unemployment.

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