Iwuagwu Ben Ugochukwu 1, Iwuagwu Ben Chioma M. 2, and Onyegiri Ikechukwu 3

Transcription

1 An Appraisal of Entrepreneurship Education Curriculum in Departments of Architecture in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions: a Study of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, Nigeria Iwuagwu Ben Ugochukwu 1, Iwuagwu Ben Chioma M. 2, and Onyegiri Ikechukwu 3 1 Department of Architecture, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba 2 Department of Statistics, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba 3 Department of Architecture, Imo State University, Owerri Abstract Entrepreneurship education is now becoming an important means and a valuable additional strategy to create jobs and improve livelihoods and economic dependence in Nigeria. Considering the declining economic situation in Nigeria, it is imperative that students are equipped with entrepreneurial skills in addition to their discipline for Job Creation and Poverty Eradication. The study appraises entrepreneurship education in department of architecture Abia state polytechnic, Aba in relation to practical skills acquisition, job creation and poverty eradication. The population for the study was 173 HND II & ND II students who were exposed to EED 413 and EED 216 (Entrepreneurship Development and Introduction to Entrepreneurship Education) respectively. Questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. Findings of the study revealed that the students were not exposed to practical skills that tally with their specific branch of learning. The crux of this paper is a call for a paradigm shift in entrepreneurship education skills for architecture students to skills that are related to their profession. Based on the findings of the study recommendations were made. Keywords: Curriculum, Entrepreneurship Education, Architecture, Tertiary Institutions Introduction The problem of unemployment is pathetic as the number of those coming out from various institutions looking for employment opportunity is increasing by the day. Nigeria is facing harsh economic realities resulting from unemployment of graduates orchestrated by government and companies downsizing their workforce. In Nigeria today, the increasing rate of poverty, unemployment, corruption and many other social problems had become worrisome to the government and to every well meaning citizen. The incidence of Poverty in Nigeria is on the high side as about 70% of the total population has been classified as poor (Nigeria entrepreneurship initiative, 2009; Ewhrudjakpor, 2008). The 2010 Global Monitoring Report (GMR) of the United Nation Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), revealed that about 92 per cent of Nigerian population survive on less than 2 dollar daily, while about 71 per cent survives on less than 1 dollar daily a 63 Iwuagwu, Iwuagwu and Onyegiri

2 condition many have described as inexcusable judging from the abundant natural deposits and high human population at the country s disposal. Entrepreneurship education is a programme introduced into the Nigerian universities and polytechnics by the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) and National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) respectively. The Federal Government of Nigeria in the year 2002 decided that entrepreneurship studies be included in the curriculum of university and polytechnic education in Nigeria (Okojie, 2011). According to Emesini (2015), the objective was to empower students to be able to harness opportunities, be self-reliant, and become jobcreators instead of job-seekers. For Paul (2005), objectives of Entrepreneurship education is structured to achieve the following: To offer functional education for the youth that will enable them to be self-employed and self- reliant. Provide the youth graduates with adequate training that will enable them to be creative and innovative in identifying novel business opportunities. To serve as a catalyst for economic growth and development. Offer tertiary institution graduates with adequate training in risk management, to make certain bearing feasible. To reduce high rule of poverty. Create employment generation. Reduction in rural urban migration. Provide the young graduates with enough training and support that will enable them to establish a career in small and medium sized businesses. To inculcate the spirit of perseverance in the youths and adults which will enable them to persist in any business venture they embark on. Create smooth transition from traditional to a modern industrial economy. Currently majority of young graduates of architecture are still seeing the architectural profession from the traditional approach of design and construction only (Mudashir, Rozilah, and David; 2012). Basically this is the primary cause of limited employment opportunities for graduating architects. There is therefore need to diversify and specialise in the various entrepreneurial opportunities embedded in the profession such as Interior design, landscaping, furniture, glazing/aluminium works and fabrication (aluminium and metal works) etcetera. Entrepreneurship education is needed to develop and refocus the creativity capability and analytical problem solving mind of young and old architects into commercialisation of their product (design) which will create more jobs and contribute to the economy development of the nation. A study carried out by the Federal Ministry of Education from showed that seventy one percent (71%) of graduate students from Nigerian Universities and other forms of tertiary institutions are yet to get job (Ekpo 2010). The unemployment issues are worsening by the day while Salimn (2003) blamed the high rate of university graduate unemployment to lack of collaboration between lecturers and methods of pedagogy delivery. The crux of this paper is a call for a paradigm shift in entrepreneurship education skills for architecture students to entrepreneurship education skills and curriculum that are related to their profession. This will enable young architects to create jobs for societal development and national economic development rather than seeking for unavailable employments Iwuagwu, Iwuagwu and Onyegiri

3 Statement of the problem The education of the architect is geared towards equipping him with the knowledge to practice in the future as a professional in the built environment. Considering the declining economic situation in Nigeria, it is imperative that architecture students are equipped with entrepreneurial skills in addition to their discipline for Job Creation and Poverty Eradication. According to Nwachukwu (2012) the Economic survey in 2011put unemployment rate in Nigeria at over 38 million (23.9%), a situation which is worsen by the day. It is an accepted fact that the concept of entrepreneurship education in tertiary institutions is relevant in creating jobs and improves livelihoods and economic dependence among fresh graduates in Nigeria. There is need for a proper education and entrepreneurial skills acquire by the students. Proper education and entrepreneurial skill in this concept would involve exposing the students to the proper skill needed in their specific branch of learning. Curriculum of entrepreneur education produced by the NUC/NBTE, termed introduction to entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship development lack adequate content let alone meeting the needs of professional courses such as architecture etcetera. This disconnect becomes more alarming when we compare the skill being taught to architecture students and the skills they are meant to learn in entrepreneurship education; where entrepreneurship has emerged as the most compelling economic force the world has experienced in the last decade. The effects of this on the quality of architecture graduates in Nigeria include poor practical skills needed for practice, economic dependence among others. Academic curriculum is not enough to sustain graduate Architects in the real world, there is need for an entrepreneurial Architect who according to Mudashir, Rozilah, and David (2012) can evolve, expand, grow and reclaim his profession and take control of his destiny and modernize the practice of architecture for the generations to come. It is important therefore that entrepreneurial skills which tally with their specific branch of learning, the built environment, be taught to architecture students. Objective of the study The main purpose of the study was to appraise Entrepreneurship Education in Departments of Architecture in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions and make recommendations on the envisaged challenges on the entrepreneurship skill acquisition and practice to influence post-graduation job creation ability for the students. Research methodology The population of the study consists 173 students (81 ND II students and 92 HND II students) of department of architecture, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, for 2015/2016 academic session. There was no sampling because of its relatively small size and accessibility. The instrument used for the study was a Questionnaire. Copies of the questionnaire were given to experts in department of statistics school of sciences and industrial technology, Abia State Polytechnic for content validity. A set of 173 questionnaires were prepared and 81 and 92 copies were administered in ND II and HND II classes respectively. Out of the 173 questionnaires successfully administered, 165 questionnaires were retrieved, as the students finds it difficult to complete and return copies of questionnaire claiming they have been busy with design classes. The data were analysed descriptively using tables and bar charts Iwuagwu, Iwuagwu and Onyegiri

4 Finding Variables such as Entrepreneurship skills thought, Challenges in acquiring the entrepreneurship skills thought and Challenges envisaged in the practice of the acquired entrepreneurship skills have beenn analysed below. Table 1: Entrepreneurship skills thought. S/N Skills Acquired Frequency Percentage 1 Cloth making 2 Shoe making 3 Hair making 4 Tie and Die 5 Bead making 6 Cosmetic production 7 Paint making 8 Photography Total Source: Field Survey July n PERCENTAGE Fig.1 Entrepreneurship skills thought. Table 1 and Fig.1 show that the entrepreneurship skills offered by students of the department of architecture, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba are not related to their specific branch of learning. From the survey, majority of the respondents (32.73%) chose paint making because of the related with their profession. From the survey it was understood that thee students are offering these skills in entrepreneurship education just to fulfil the requirements for the award

5 of either Ordinary National Diploma D (OND) or Higher National Diploma (HND) in architecture. Table 2: Challenges in acquiring the entrepreneurship skills thought. S/N Challenges in Acquiring Skills Frequency Percentage 1 Time 18 2 Fund 5 3 Manpower 2 4 Stress 8 5 Not related to discipline Total Source: Field Survey July PERCENTAGE Time Fund Manpower Stress Not related to Discipline Fig.2 Challenges in acquiring thee entrepreneurship skills thought. Table 2 and Fig 2 show that challenges the students faced in acquiring these entrepreneurship skills include time, fund, manpower, stress, and no relationship with their profession. It was observed from the survey that not related to discipline with 80% response is the major challenge the students are facing in acquiring these skills.

6 Table 3: Challenges envisaged in the practice of the acquired entrepreneurship skills. S/N Challenges Envisaged Frequency Percentage 1 Time Fund Facing more experienced competitors Stress Not related to discipline Total Source: Field Survey July Time Fund Facing Experienced Competitors Stress 1.82 Not related to Discipline Fig.3 Challenges envisaged in the practice of the acquired entrepreneurship skills. From Table 3 and Fig 3 the challenges the students envisaged in the practice of the acquired entrepreneurship skills include time, fund, facing more experienced competitors, stress, and no relationship with their profession. The fact that the skills are not related to their profession and acquired based on fulfilling the requirements for the award of either Ordinary National Diploma (OND) or Higher National Diploma (HND) in architecture affected their interest and learning of the skills; hence their fear of facing more experienced competitors which according to their responses on Table 3 and Fig. 3 is 55.15%. Discussion of Findings The study reveals that curriculum of entrepreneurship education as taught in the department of architecture, Abia State Polytechnic Aba, is not related to architecture profession. According to the study, causes taught are; clothe making, shoe making, tie and die, hair making, bead making, cosmetic production, paint making and photography. The survey, according to Table 1 and Fig.1, shows that majority of the students choose paint making because it is related to their profession. This method of pedagogy has defeated the idea of entrepreneurship education in architecture for Job Creation and Poverty Eradication as the 68 Iwuagwu, Iwuagwu and Onyegiri

7 students are not interested and only choose these skills for the fulfilment of the requirements for award of OND and HND. This method of pedagogy is one of the reasons for high rate of architecture graduate unemployment. For Salimn (2003) the high rate of graduate unemployment was as a result of collaboration between lecturers and methods of pedagogy delivery. Lack of entrepreneurial skills is no doubt a major contributing factor to the problem of unemployment of graduates and youth in Nigeria (Adebisi and Oni, 2012). The NUC and NBTE had to embark on entrepreneurship education programme in tertiary institutions in Nigeria with the following objectives: 1. Empowerment of the students 2. Creation of employment 3. Diversification in business and 4. Individual confidence According to the study the challenges students face in learning these skills, is the fact that these skills are not domicile in their profession as affirmed by Table 2 and Fig. 2, and are taught by lectures without practical experience. Uzoagulu (2012) argued in the same direction, that in practice some universities design one or two entrepreneurial courses, taught by some lecturers who have no practical experience of entrepreneurship while students take such courses as a requisite for graduation. Onuma (2016) also argued that one of the challenges of entrepreneurship education is lack of Entrepreneurial learning environment and support tools in our schools. Onuma goes on to claim that there are inadequate teachers to provide the needed appropriate skills and attitude, and where available they are in short fall. In Abia State Polytechnic, the scenario is the same and even appears worse. These challenges have made the objectives of entrepreneurship education unrealisable for architecture graduates for job creation and poverty eradication. Entrepreneurship is often understood to be for business discipline students but not for technical students. On their perception Ahmad et al. (2004) were bothered that technical discipline students were seemed to be left in the dark. The study confirms according to Table 3 and Fig. 3 that the major challenge envisaged in practice of the skills are lack of relationship with architecture profession (55.15%) and the problem of facing more experienced competitors (20.61%). As a result of this economic meltdown which affects all professions, there is a need to restructure and reposition all professions toward the current challenges and sustainability. Conclusion Based on the findings, the study concludes that there should be a paradigm shift from the entrepreneurship education skills for architecture students in Abia State Polytechnic Aba, to skills that are more related to their profession so as to develop and empower post-graduation opportunities in the society and at same time ameliorate some socio-economic problems, unemployment and other social vices prevalent among unemployed youths. Such entrepreneurship education skills should include; Interior design, landscaping, glazing/aluminium works, fabrication (aluminium and metal works), concrete production, block laying and moulding, painting, tilling and POP work Iwuagwu, Iwuagwu and Onyegiri

8 Recommendations The architectural profession now exists in a great period of change, so there is need to progress with the changes and impact positive changes on the current and future teaching and practice of architecture as a profession. Graduating architects need to develop more employment opportunities with their high level of creative skill abilities and capacity. Entrepreneurship as presently taught in General Studies programme hardly meets the needs of students let alone architects. 1. It is therefore necessary that a proper programme oriented towards making architectural practice business like be developed and taught as a core architecture course. 2. Entrepreneurship education curriculum for architecture students should include skills that are more related to their profession for proper and professional job creation and poverty eradication such as; A. Interior design, B. Landscaping, C. Glazing/Aluminium works, D. Fabrication (aluminium and metal works), E. Concrete production, F. Block laying and moulding, G. Painting, H. Tilling and I. POP works. 3. Furthermore, there are also entrepreneurial opportunities in green design. This is a new direction of architectural design opportunity which could produce a new line of innovative employment solution for the young graduating architects. References Adebisi, T.A. & Oni, C.S. (2012). Assessment of relevance of National Directorate of Employment training programme to the needs of the trainees in South-West in Nigeria. International Journal of Vocational and Technical Education. 4(3) Ahmad, M. H., Ariffin, S. A., Abdullah, A. M., Ossen, D. R., and Omar, (2005). Appropriate, Flexible and Competitive Architectural Education, Unpublished Research Project, Research Management Centre, University of Technology Malaysia. Ekpo, P. (2010). An evaluation of graduate unemployment among university students in Nigeria. Daily independent, February 7, p 10. Emesini, N. O. (2015). Entrepreneurship Education in Nigerian Universities for Sustainable Development: Students Acquisition/Practice of skills and the envisaged challenges. Journal of educational policy and entrepreneurial research. 2(9) Ewhrudjakpor, C. (2008).Poverty and its alleviation: The Nigerian experience. Journal of International social work. 51 (4) Nigerian Entrepreneurship Initiative (2009). Fighting poverty through enterprise. retrieved from http/ on 20/03/09. Mudashir G, Rozilah K, and David M (2012). Toward A More Entrepreneurship Architectural Education in Malaysia. Proceedings of International Conference of Technology Management, Business and Entrepreneurship (ICTMBE2012), Renaissance Hotel, Melaka, Malaysia Dec Iwuagwu, Iwuagwu and Onyegiri

9 Nwachukwu, I (2012) Nigeria s unemployment rate at 23.9% in day on line.com/ng/index.phb/economic. Watch/32204 ) Retrieved on 20/08/14 Okojie, J. A. (2011). Introductory speech of the executive secretary of NUC on undergraduate programme for GST entrepreneurship held at Abuja. February 2015 Onuma, N. (2016). Entrepreneurship Education in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions: A Remedy to Graduates Unemployment. British Journal of Education. 4(5) Paul, E.O. (2005), Entrepreneurship Education. In Ezema P. N., Paul E. O., Amoke B. O., Godwin A.G. O, Chike, A. E, Henri U. A. (Eds) Entrepreneurship in Vocational Education. Enugu: OZYBEL Publishers. Salimn, B. (2003). Joint Admission and Matriculation Board Boss explains graduate unemployment. The Guardian, Tuesday, March 25 p. 20. Uzoagulu, A.E. (2012). Entrepreneurial education in Nigeria. A keynote address presented at the 27th Annual congress of the Nigerian Academy of Education. Novermber 5-9th, Minna, Niger State Iwuagwu, Iwuagwu and Onyegiri