INHIBITIONS AND REWARDS OF PROFESSIONALIZATION OF BUSINESS EDUCATION PROGRAMME IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The Association of Business Educators of Nigeria (ABEN) is a professional organization committed to the promotion and advancement of business education programme in Nigeria with the Motto: Business Education, Our Business. Business educators are professionally qualified personnel in the field of business and education, engaged in classroom teaching and administration in the public or private sectors and others that are duly accredited and professionally accepted in related subject area. Though the programme received laudable acceptance by the government in the National Policy on Education, but it is unfortunate that the Association is not well recognized by the government (federal, state and local government) as they do with Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) etc. What could be contributing to this lip service attitude by the government towards the programme? Thus, this paper is out to find, factors that are inhibiting successful rewards and sustainable professionalization of Business Education programme in Nigeria. It was observed that: non- central quality examination, free entry and exit of teachers, lack of association’s autonomy for admission and sanctioning of airy members etc were some of the inhibitions towards successful rewards and sustainable professionalization of ABEN. It is recommended among other things that government should allow ABEN the autonomy to act and admit members as it was done in other professions like NBA, NMA.

Keywords: Inhibitions, Rewards, Successful, Sustainable, Professionalization, Business Education