RELEVANCE OF BUSINESS EDUCATION IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF NIGERIAN ECONOMY: PERCEPTION OF BUSINESS EDUCATORS IN RIVERS STATE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

The study investigated the relevance of Business Education programme in Rivers State tertiary institutions as a vehicle for transforming the Nigerian economy. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The population for the study comprised of 87 Business Educators from RSU, IAUE and FCE(Tech) Omoku, Rivers State. The entire population was studied due to its manageable size. Instrument for data collection was a 24-item structured questionnaire titled “Questionnaire on Transforming Nigerian Economy through Business Education (QTNEBE) developed on a 4-point rating scale by the researcher and duly validated by experts in the field. The reliability coefficient 0.82 was determined using the test-retest method and PPMC. The mean and standard deviation was employed in answering the research questions while ANOVA was used in testing the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings from the study revealed that Business Education can transform the Nigerian economy through youth empowerment and job creation. Findings also revealed that the relevance of the programme is challenged by factors such as poor funding, poor public image of the programme, dearth of qualified business educators, poor implementation of the curriculum among others. The study concluded that Business Education is very effective in bringing about the desired transformation the nation and its citizens are craving through its youth empowerment and job creation roles it offers and as such very significant in curbing challenges such as unemployment, poverty reduction, insecurity and economic instability in the country. Based on the findings and conclusion of the study, it was recommended among others that enrolment into Business Education programme especially at the higher education level should be encouraged; government and stakeholders should create awareness on the relevance of Business Education programme to individuals, society and the state at large, through seminars, conferences and workshops.

Keywords: Business Education; Transforming; Relevance; Nigerian Economy; Sustainable Development;