ENTREPRENEURSHIP KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-EMPLOYMENT INTENTION AMONG UNDERGRADUATES (A CASE STUDY OF USMANU DANFODIYO UNIVERSITY SOKOTO)

ENTREPRENEURSHIP KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-EMPLOYMENT INTENTION AMONG UNDERGRADUATES (A Case Study of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto) ( Economics Project Topics)

ABSTRACT

This study provides understanding of entrepreneurial intention of undergraduates. It reports findings from qualitative data retrieved from self-administered questionnaires to final year students of Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto that were selected through random sampling. Analytical techniques used include frequency, percentages and logit regression to know the impact of entrepreneurship education on the intention of students to be self-employed. Finally, the study found that exposure of students to entrepreneurship education did not influence their intention to be self-employed due to the fact that entrepreneurship education is a new course and also found other factors such as age, faculty, finance, tribe which had a significant impact on entrepreneurship intention of undergraduates and that despite the knowledge of entrepreneurship education as a contributory factor towards self-employment, undergraduates require additional support to overcome unforeseen challenges.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This chapter discusses the background to the study, statement of research problem, objectives of the study, importance of the study, research hypothesis, scope of the study, assumptions of the study, limitation of the study, and the scheme of chapters.

1.0 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Entrepreneurship has found its way into higher education all around the globe. With the knowledge of entrepreneurship a percentage of undergraduates have developed the zeal to start up their own business after graduation hence pursuing self employment. Entrepreneurship knowledge in universities caters for student’s expectation of education as a means to satisfy their search for newness, uniqueness and practicality (Fredrick and visser 2005).

Becoming an entrepreneur very often is the result of a personal decision making process including assessment of opportunities and their costs (being employed, being unemployed, being one’s own boss) risk-reward relationship (what is at stake) and others. Some cultural beliefs, values, and behaviors in a country can influence this decision. Many inputs and circumstances contribute to entrepreneurial success but of particular importance are having the right skills and competences to identify and realize opportunities to recognize difficulties in time and to respond to failures. Starting early in getting familiar with the idea that running one’s own firm is a potential career option is important and education plays a core role in this. Hence the number of universities that mobilize their graduates for entrepreneurship careers is growing rapidly.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-EMPLOYMENT INTENTION AMONG UNDERGRADUATES (A Case Study of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto) ( Economics Project Topics)