THE RELEVANCE OF BUSINESS EDUCATION TO POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN NIGERIA

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THE RELEVANCE OF BUSINESS EDUCATION TO POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Poverty is one of the debilitating problems faced by people in many countries. Thus, individuals, groups of persons, developed and developing countries of the world have experienced different levels of poverty at different times. Poverty is a term that is familiar to both the affluent and the poor but what varies is the meaning attached to it by different people. Ndem (2010) [1] stated that poverty is the deprivation of the basic needs such as food, shelter education and employment among others.

In the same vein Greenberg (2005) [2] poverty means lack of power, choice and material resources. Greenberg further stated that the poor lack access to information that is vital to their lives and livelihood and about market prices for the goods they produce. The poor lack access to knowledge, education, and skill development opportunities needed to improve themselves. From the above definitions, it is clear that poverty is far more than financial solvency and can manifest in the form of unemployment, homelessness, and lack of education.

Poverty alleviation could be referred to as the substantive reduction of any of the negative effect of poverty on people; while poverty alleviation strategies refer to the measures adopted to eradicate or reduce poverty. It is a process which seeks to reduce the level of poverty in a community or among a group of persons or nations. Poverty alleviation may also aim at removing the social and legal barriers to income growth among the poor. Ekwuruke, (2013) [3] stated that poverty alleviation involves the efforts made to improve the living standard of people who already are poor and to reduce the magnitude of poverty.

In Nigeria, different measures have been adopted by successive governments to reduce or eradicate poverty and its impact on the people. These measures as identified by Idowu, Gberevbie, Moses, Duruji, and Bankole (2013) [4] include: the Directorate of Food, Road and Rural Infrastructures (DFFRI); Better Life for Rural Women (BLRW); National Directorate of Employment (NDE); Bank of Industry (BOI); Family Support Programme (FSP); the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and Subsidy-Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (Sure-P), among others. Other initiatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria towards poverty eradication and the revitalization of Vocational Education include the establishment of six centres for staff development at Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe Ogara; Kano State Polytechnic; Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Uwana; Federal Polytechnic Ilaro; Federal Polytechnic Idah and Federal Polytechnic Damaturu. During the same year, the Federal Government also embarked on the training of Core Team Trainers at Bauchi and Yaba; Information Technology Multimedia Simulation Workshop in conjunction with UNESCO and the Chiba Institute of Technology Japan; held Guidance and Councelling Workshop to train Technical and Vocational Education staff on new and innovative techniques in G & C and another workshop on Teaching Material Development for technical teachers (UNESCO, 2008) [5].

In the year 2013, the Federal Government of Nigeria started a programme referred to as the Framework for the integration of Out-of-School Children from the South-East and South-South States into the Basic Education Programme. One of the objectives of this programme was to empower the youths from these areas with functional skills for self-reliance and ability to contribute to the development of the society. When implemented, the initiative is expected to reduce the out-of-school syndrome occasioned by the get rich-quick attitude of youths. The initiative will among other things ensure human capacity development and poverty reduction-UBEC 2013.

All these measures notwithstanding, poverty and its negative impact on the people still persist. A close look at the poverty alleviation measures reveal that they all have one thing in common that is, lack of continuity. They tend to fissile out with the government that introduced them, suggesting that a better and more permanent approach to poverty alleviation needs to be put in place. Education in all its ramification is the foundation for all development. Okorie (2000) [6] indicated that most of the richest economies of the world such as the USA, China and Germany make tremendous and expansive use of both general and vocational education. Business Education is an integral part of Vocational Education which is the education for employability. The Federal Government of Nigeria (2013) [7] recognized it as such and defined it as the aspect of Technical Education which involves in addition to general education, the study of technologies and related sciences; the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupations in various sectors of the economy and social life. According to Azuka, Nwosu, Kanu and Agomuo (2006) [8] and Odah and Ogbaga (2010) [9], unlike general education which is long in theory and short in fact, Business Education is practical oriented and provides individuals with skills in business-related occupations such accounting, marketing and office occupation.

Furthermore, business education is concerned with the area of knowledge and competences needed by individuals (skills, abilities, understanding and attitudes) that enable students to become a worthy human being and effective member of the society (Etonyeaku, 2012) [10].

It prepares learners for the different roles in business as economically literate and intelligent citizens. As part of vocational education, Business Education is synonymous with skill acquisition (Mc Omish, Elspeth, Mohan and Perera, 2013) [11]. The authors noted that in the absence of paid employment, individuals with vocational skills can set up small business within the services needed by their communities and this has the capacity to boost the local economy from within, and hence lead to the liberation of the people from the culture of dependence on external assistance. The authors further stated that as an aspect of Vocational Education, Business Education is the key that alleviates poverty, promotes peace, conserves the environment, improves quality of life for all and helps in the achievement of sustainable economic development. Business Education prepares individuals for life-long learning by developing in them the necessary mental tools, technical and entrepreneurial skills and attitudes, capacities for decision-making and other qualities needed for active participation in team work and in the community as a whole. Business education empowers graduates with desired skills, knowledge and values that would make such graduates to be self-employed or employable by others.

Okorie (2000) [6] and Ezeji (2010) [12] attributed the inability to use Business Education as a tool for poverty alleviation to poor public image of Vocational Education, lack of adequate funding, shortage of qualified teaching staff, poor monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and the inability to adopt cooperative/vocational education by schools and industries.

1.2 Statement of the problem

The initiatives of successive Nigerian administrations to alleviate poverty among the people, seem to be ineffective because according to 2014 Statistics on Poverty in Nigeria, 112 million people still live in abject poverty. Additionally, Business Education appears to be relegated to the background as tool for poverty alleviation. Despite this laudable roles of business education in human development, business education still operates with obsolete machines and equipment such that graduates are not relevant to the world of work. The problem of poverty is a global dimension and business education programme should be a potent tool for poverty alleviation. However, for business education to play effective role in wealth creation and poverty eradication, business education should be repositioned for the achievement of its objectives of producing graduates who are not only skilled and employable but individuals who should be self-employed. It is in the light of this that this study is conducted to determine the contributions Business Education as part of Vocational Education can make towards poverty alleviation in Enugu State, Nigeria.

1.3 Objectives of the study

1) To know ways Business Education can contribute towards poverty alleviation in Nigeria?

2) To know the factors that hinder the use of Business Education as a tool for poverty alleviation?

1.4. Research Questions

1) In what ways can Business Education contribute towards poverty alleviation in Nigeria?

2) What are the factors hinder the use of Business Education as a tool for poverty alleviation?

1.5 Hypothesis

Two null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance.

1) There is no significant difference in the mean response of lecturers in universities and those in polytechnics/colleges of education about the contributions Business Education can make towards poverty alleviation.

2) There is no significant difference in the mean response of lecturers in universities and those in polytechnics/colleges of education about the factors that hinder the use of Business Education as a tool for poverty alleviation in Nigeria.

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