NEXUS BETWEEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS AMONG YOUTHS IN KADUNA STATE UNIVERSITY

1.1 Background of the Study Entrepreneurship is increasingly being acknowledged for its pivotal role in job creation and economic development, as well as its contribution to enhancing the competitiveness of regions, states, and nations (Davey, Hannon & Penaluna, 2016). As stated by Davey et al. (2016), entrepreneurship can also be perceived as a viable career option, with the emergence of new businesses offering expanded employment opportunities within society. Entrepreneurship is a key driver of national growth and prosperity (Krueger, 2016), which explains the growing global interest in entrepreneurship education (EE) (Bell & Bell, 2016). To foster social, economic, and organizational advancement, the education sector now places considerable emphasis on entrepreneurship and the creation of new ventures. This focus has led to a substantial rise in the development of entrepreneurship as a formal academic discipline over the past two decades (Bell & Bell, 2016; Fayolle, 2015). A recent study by Kakouris and Georgiadis (2016) highlights how the UK government has taken meaningful steps to reform its entrepreneurial education policies, recognizing it as a critical component of employability. Indeed, entrepreneurship education is viewed as a cornerstone of modern, knowledge-driven economies and a key factor in internally driven economic growth. Additionally, Kakouris and Georgiadis (2016) assert that one of the main objectives of educational institutions globally is to instill entrepreneurial intentions in students through dedicated entrepreneurship education programs. This has led to continuous efforts to expand such educational offerings in recent years. By 2006, over 1,600 colleges worldwide were offering more than 2,000 entrepreneurship courses (Hisrich, 2016). Notably, most of these institutions were located in the United States. According to Couetil, Shartrand, and Reed (2016), approximately 3,000 U.S. universities had incorporated these courses by 2016, offering various options such as entrepreneurship majors, minors, certificate programs, and experiential learning opportunities. Recent scholarly discussions have suggested a strong correlation between entrepreneurship education and the likelihood of graduates launching their own ventures (Davey, Hannon & Penaluna, 2016). It has been observed that "entrepreneurship education can influence both the mindset and actions of students or academics" (Davey et al., 2016). Moreover, Davey et al. (2016) argue that entrepreneurship education can shape students’ entrepreneurial attitudes in numerous ways—for example, by motivating some students to pursue business ownership after completing their studies. Kraaijenbrink et al. (2015) emphasize that students’ perceptions of entrepreneurship may shift positively depending on their academic experiences, highlighting the university's potential in cultivating favorable attitudes. Similarly, Verheul et al. (2015) concluded that educational institutions play an essential nurturing role in shaping students’ entrepreneurial competencies, behaviors, and intentions, reinforcing the idea that entrepreneurship can be effectively fostered through education (Davey et al., 2016). 1.2 Statement of the Problem It would seem reasonable to expect that entrepreneurship education is supported by a clear framework and well-established theoretical foundations. However, this is not yet the case, indicating the need for further research to guide positive outcomes in the field (Jones, 2015). Entrepreneurship programs at tertiary institutions remain relatively new (Kautonen, 2015), and there is a pressing need for more research—particularly concerning the structure, objectives, and measurable impacts of such programs (Kuratko & Morris, 2018). Fayolle (2015) has emphasized the need for greater clarity in how entrepreneurship is taught and developed. This study, therefore, aims to contribute to ongoing debates about the role experiential learning might play in shaping entrepreneurial aspirations. It also seeks to identify the specific factors that could positively influence entrepreneurial intent. Experiential learning—recognized as a student-centered, hands-on instructional approach—has gained traction among scholars interested in entrepreneurship education. Traditional teacher-centered approaches, often dominated by lectures with instructors as the main source of knowledge, are increasingly seen as ineffective in cultivating entrepreneurial thinking. A variety of teaching approaches have emerged to enhance entrepreneurship instruction. These include action-based learning (Fayolle, 2015), reflective practice, contingency planning, and design thinking (Nielsen & Storvang, 2015). As a result, it is vital to assess "what works" in terms of pedagogy and to understand how different teaching methods influence students’ entrepreneurial intentions, motivations, capabilities, and behaviors (Bell & Bell, 2016). At this point, there is a compelling need to investigate the attributes that affect entrepreneurial intention (Fayolle et al., 2015). Accordingly, this study is centered on those characteristics, aiming to assess the significance of factors that may shape or strengthen entrepreneurial intentions in learners. 1.3 Research Questions The following questions have been prepared for the study i. Do youths who received entrepreneurship education be more driven towards starting their own ventures? ii. Will entrepreneurial education increase youths knowledge of business at early stage? iii. Is there a relationship between entrepreneurship education through successful entrepreneurial models and Entrepreneurial Intention among youths. iv. Does entrepreneurship education influence attitude of youths in Kaduna state University towards entrepreneurship? 1.4 Objective of the study The primary objective of the study is to analyze the Effect of Entrepreneurship Education on Entrepreneurial Intentions Among Youth: A Case Study of Kaduna State University. Other specific objectives are as follows: i. To find out if youths who received entrepreneurship education will be more driven towards starting their own ventures. ii. To investigate if entrepreneurial education will increase youths knowledge of business at early stage. iii. To evaluate the relationship between entrepreneurship education through successful entrepreneurial models and Entrepreneurial Intention among youths. iv. To examine if entrepreneurship education influences the attitude of youths in Kaduna state University towards entrepreneurship. 1.5 Research hypotheses The study will test the validity of the following null hypotheses: Ho1: Youths who received entrepreneurship education will not be more driven towards starting their own ventures. H02: Entrepreneurial education will not increase youths knowledge of business at early stage. H03: There is no positive significant relationship between entrepreneurship education through successful entrepreneurial models and Entrepreneurial Intention among youths. H04: Entrepreneurship education will not influence the attitude of youths in Kaduna state University towards entrepreneurship 1.6 Significance of the study This study on the impact of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention will be significant in the following ways: University management: It will bring to the notice of the University management on the need to expose students to various opportunities that can be utilized as an entrepreneurship student, hence making them independent even as a student. Government: It will bring to to the knowledge of the government on the important of entrepreneurship education to the citizens and the nation as large. It will further help policy makers in formulating laws that will favour entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs in business. This study will also help the government to see the need to invest in entrepreneurship education and youths empowerment in order to reduce unemployment and crime rate in among youths in the country. Academia: This study will add to existing literature on this topic and will serve as a reference piece to students, scholars, and researchers who may wish to carryout further studies on this topic or related domain in the future. 1.7 Scope of the study This study focuses on examining if there is a relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention. The study will also evaluate the impact of business planning on entrepreneurial intention. The study will further find out if Students who received entrepreneurship education will be more driven towards starting their own ventures. Lastly, the study will investigate if exposure to entrepreneurship education will influence students’ desirability of entrepreneurship. Hence 100L to 400L students in Department of Entrepreneurship Education, Kaduna State University shall serve as enrolled participants for this study. 1.8 Limitation of the study Just like any other research, ranging from unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, inability to get data. Financial constraint, was also faced by the researcher, in getting relevant materials and in printing and collation of questionnaires. Furthermore, time factor pose another constraint since having to shuttle between writing of the research and also engaging in other academic work making it uneasy for the researcher. 1.9 Definition of terms Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship is the process by which individuals or a group of individuals (entrepreneurs) exploit a commercial opportunity, either by bringing a new product or process to the market, or by substantially improving an existing good, service, or method of production. Education: Education is both the act of teaching knowledge to others and the act of receiving knowledge from someone else. Intention: Intentions are mental states in which the agent commits themselves to a course of action. It is something someone mean to do, whether you pull it off or not. Entrepreneurship Education: Entrepreneurship education seeks to provide students with the knowledge, skills and motivation to encourage entrepreneurial success in a variety of settings. Entrepreneurship Intention: Entrepreneurial intention (EI) is defined as “the conscious state of mind that precedes action and directs attention toward entrepreneurial behaviors such as starting a new business and becoming an entrepreneur.