BIJED

Abstract

This study assesses the conceptualisation of entrepreneurship as a field of contemporary study and practice among students of selected universities in Benin City. This is to underscore the proposition that the learning outcomes of educational programs are dependent on the conceptualisation of that programme and the availability of teaching facilities and to fill the apparent gap between the learning and practice of entrepreneurship in Nigeria in spite of the mandatory inclusion of entrepreneurship education in the curricula of Nigerian universities. Using the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) as a case study and entrepreneurship students as the unit of analysis, a research instrument of structured questionnaire with variables formulated in line with 5 point Likert type scale was used. A total of 212 questionnaires were administered out of which 190 questionnaires were found to be duly completed and used for the study, with analysis carried out using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that students from the selected universities had significant understanding of the conceptualisation of entrepreneurship as a field of learning and practice. However, on the availability of adequate facilities for the teaching and practice of entrepreneurship, the students scored their universities low. The study therefore recommends the provision of adequate facilities and infrastructures for the teaching, learning and practice of entrepreneurship in Nigerian universities in addition to instituting a sustainable national entrepreneurship policy.