ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AND VENTURE INITIATIVES AMONG UNIVERSITY GRADUATES IN NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study explores the impact of entrepreneurship education on the ventureinitiatives of university graduates in Northeastern Nigeria, focusing on graduates’ readiness toengage in business, venture size, and business intentions. Northeastern Nigeria, which includesstates such as Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe, has faced economic andsocial challenges due to prolonged insurgency, with high graduate unemployment despiteannual outputs of over 600,000 graduates in Nigeria. Given this context, the study examinesthe role of entrepreneurship education in fostering entrepreneurial intentions among graduatesresiding in the region. Using a structured questionnaire adapted from the GlobalEntrepreneurship Monitor and other sources, data was collected from a representative sampleof 1,200 graduates across Bauchi, Gombe, and Taraba states. Probit and negative binomialregression models were employed to analyze the data, assessing the influence of variables suchas entrepreneurship theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and personal entrepreneurialcharacteristics on venture engagement. The findings reveal that while male graduates and thosewith high practical skills show a greater tendency to engage in ventures, other factors like age,educational background, and satisfaction with the entrepreneurship education structure alsosignificantly impact graduates