An Empirical Analysis of Factors Motivating Students to Study Entrepreneurship in University of Ilorin

Abstract

There has been an increase in the rate of unemployment in most developing countries in recent time due to less job openings with attendant geometric increase in the number of graduates being released by the universities and other institutions to the already saturated labor market. This has become a major challenge to policy makers in private and government sector in these countries. Therefore in order to address this phenomenon, students are being encouraged to learn some entrepreneurial skills through exposure to Entrepreneurship courses, while still in the school. This paper’s objective is to examine factors motivating students’ enrolment in entrepreneurial courses in Nigeria Tertiary Institutions. The survey research method was used to collect data from randomly selected 450 graduating students of Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Ilorin. There were 437 questionnaires completed and returned. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation statistical techniques were employed to test the hypotheses raised in the study. It was revealed through ANOVA at 99% significant level (with F=100.419, d.f=2) that students’ lack of interest in Entrepreneurship courses has significant effect on the type of job they desire to do after graduation. The paper concluded that the content of the Entrepreneurship courses being offered to the students need to be made to be more practical oriented and applicable to solving unemployment problem. The study recommended that the students training in Entrepreneurship courses should be backed up with industrial attachment for it to have more effect on their choice of trade or vocation after graduation.