ASSESSMENT ON CONTRIBUTION OF BUSINESS EDUCATION PROGRAMME TO NIGERIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Education is, without a doubt, the most important instrument for a society's economic development and technical improvement. To take account of this reality, governments dedicate enormous resources to assuring the supply of education for their population, while also designing their policies to ensure that education is made available to the broadest possible segment of their citizenry . Business education, on the other hand, is a crucial component of this general education. It is concerned with the dissemination of business orientation and information for the advancement of individuals and the development of the nation as opined by (Oyebade et al., 2008 referenced in Nwokike, & Okoli, 2015). Conceptually, business education include instilling in students the basics, ideas, theories, and procedures of the business world, among other things. According to Okoli (2015), business education is an essential component of general education since it focuses on the acquisition of skills and competences that may be applied in offices and business-related vocations. In a similar vein, Nwanewezi (2018) defines business education as comprising education for office jobs, business teaching, business administration, and a grasp of economic principles. Abdulkadir (2016) summarized his findings by stating that one notable and essential aspect of business education programs is that its graduates can function independently as self-employed individuals and as employers of labor. For this reason, business education encompasses fundamental education for teaching career, entrepreneurship, business knowledge, office environment, and vocational activities as well as other topics. Education in this sector takes place at several levels, including primary, secondary, and university education, with the latter exhibiting the largest amount of activity. In order for education to truly serve as a legitimate vehicle for socioeconomic growth and development, as well as for the actualization of these lofty objectives of business education in tandem, educational institutions and their systems must operate at peak performance in relation to the standards that have been established. Historically, business education in Nigeria was not established via the efforts of the government, but rather through the private efforts of a few Nigerian entrepreneurs. Such individuals were quick to see the necessity of business education not just for their own personal development, but also for the growth and development of the nation's economy (Osuala 2003 cited in Nwokike, et’al 2015) . Business teacher education was not even considered in Nigerian teacher education curriculum prior to the country's independence and for the first ten years following its independence. It was also not included in the country's vocational and technical education curricula. This is not to imply that the Colonial educational officials did not appreciate the significance of this type of teacher education when they were in power. According to Osuala, some sort of business and technical teacher education program was incorporated into the curricula of Higher College, Yaba (1932-1947) and Nigerian College of Arts, Science, and Technology (1947-present) throughout their respective tenures (1954-61). According to Lawal (2015), at least 60% of graduates have not been able to find work immediately after graduation, which has had a negative impact on economic growth in the past few decades . Many young people take advantage of this opportunity and start their own businesses. Unfortunately, many are not fully equipped to deal with the difficulties that come with running a successful enterprise. It is important to emphasize that entrepreneurship without sufficient education, expertise, and abilities is almost always doomed from the beginning. Business education, as a result, exposes students to a variety of different methods of being inventive, enhances work competence, and aids in the development of an awareness of the many occupational prospects accessible in the field of business. Given the large number of graduates who leave higher institutions each year without finding meaningful work, it is imperative that business education be included in the curriculum in order to better prepare students for self-employment. 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Most countries throughout the world, particularly developing ones, are experiencing an economic downturn. At this vital juncture, what the nation requires is a theoretical and skill-oriented program that can provide the products with abilities that are relevant to long-term economic growth. This will contribute to the eradication of severe poverty and hunger, the creation of jobs, the stimulation of economic growth, and the attainment of sustainable development. According to Nwokike and Jim (2018), achieving the sustainable development goal of ending extreme poverty, including hunger, and promoting economic growth and decent jobs within the planetary boundaries will be a mirage unless a functional education program, such as business education, is implemented. A further point of view expressed by Hauwa (2021) is that Basic Business Education provides every individual with an opportunity to develop the skills, abilities, and understanding that will enable him to handle competently his personal business affairs; to develop an understanding of vocational opportunities available in the broad field of business; and to assume his citizenship obligations through enlightened participation in and appreciation of the business environment. Furthermore, Basic Business Education encompasses a broad range of information that is concerned with the economy as a whole. Business as an economic organization is identified and explained, and the person is provided with material and experience that prepares him or her to participate effectively as a citizen and customer. Despite the fact that several studies have been conducted on the influence of business education on entrepreneurship, little emphasis has been devoted to the importance of business education in terms of economic growth. Thus against this backdrop that this study seeks to conduct a survey on the relevance of business education programme to economic development of Nigeria. 1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY Research objectives are just as useful as they are in most other aspects of life. “Research objectives provide the researcher a wonderful feeling of aim and direction,” according to Torty (2021). The study's overall objective is to conduct a survey on the relevance of business education programme to economic development of Nigeria. The study, on the other hand, was focused on achieving these precise goals: i. To examine the relevance of Business education program to economic development of Nigeria. ii. To determine how the Business education program operates in Nigeria. iii. To ascertain the strategies for achieving economic development through business Education program in Universities. iv. To investigate whether there is any significant impact of business education on economic development of Nigeria. 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS The research is guided by the following hypothesis: i. What is the relevance of Business education program to economic development of Nigeria? ii. How does the Business education program operates in Nigeria? iii. What are the strategies for achieving economic development through business Education program in Universities? iv. Is there any significant impact of business education on economic development of Nigeria? 1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES HO1: Business education program is of no relevance to economic development of Nigeria. HO2: There is no significant impact of business education on economic development of Nigeria 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The results of this study will educate the government of Nigeria, stakeholders in the business sector on the relevance of business education on the economic development of Nigeria. The curriculum planners would through the findings of this study ensure that the school curriculum content is relevant to the skill required of industry because of the relevance of the programme in providing the needed manpower in industries for sustainable development.Government through the result of this study will enact policy measures to improve the quality of the training facilities for proper acquisition of skills by the recipient for sustainable development. This research will also serve as a resource base to other scholars and researchers interested in carrying out further research in this field subsequently, if applied will go to an extent to provide new explanation to the topic 1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY This study on a survey on the relevance of business education program to economic development of Nigeria will cover the Curriculum of business education from primary to tertiary education level in Nigeria with the view of identifying the influence on the Nigeria economic development. The study is however limited to selected local government in Kaduna State, Nigeria. 1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS Business:A business is simply an organization that is formed to produce and supply goods or services to satisfy the needs of people (or consumers as they are more specially known). Business Education: Business education is a branch of education that involves teaching the skills and operations of the business industry. This field of education occurs at multiple levels, including secondary and higher education institutes. Economic development: Economic Development is programs, policies or activities that seek to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for a community.