ENTREPRENEURSHIP KNOWLEDGE AS CORRELATES OF ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION OF TERTIARY INSTITUTION STUDENTS IN OGUN STATE

Abstract

The rate of unemployment situation in Nigeria today is becoming alarming and a source of concern to both the government and the populace. The problem is compounded by factors such as early retirement, job losses, and almost zero employment growth rates in most government and private business establishments. Thus, this study seeks to establish the extent to which entrepreneurship knowledge correlates with entrepreneurial intention among students in tertiary institutions in Ogun State, Nigeria. This study employed a descriptive research design of the correlation type, specifically the ex-post-facto research design. The study involved a sample size of four hundred and eighty (480) students. The sample was selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Firstly, 4 schools (School of Applied, School of Engineering, School of Environmental, and School of Management Studies) were selected from each polytechnic using the simple random sampling technique. Secondly, from each of the 4 participating schools, 60 students (30 male and 30 female) were selected from final-year students through the stratified random sampling technique. The following two (2) instruments were used for data collection: Entrepreneurship Knowledge Performance Test (EKPT) and Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (EIQ). The results revealed that Entrepreneurship knowledge determines the entrepreneurial intention of students in tertiary institutions (R=.679: R2 =.461; F(2.465) = 53.007; p < .05). There was a significant prediction of tertiary students' entrepreneurial intention. There is a significant composite contribution of entrepreneurship knowledge in the prediction of entrepreneurial intention of students in tertiary institutions. There is a significant relative contribution of entrepreneurship knowledge in the prediction of entrepreneurial intention of students in tertiary institutions. There is a significant relationship between entrepreneurship knowledge and entrepreneurial intention of students in tertiary institutions in Ogun State. The significant relationship between entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial knowledge indicates that lack of these variables may also reduce entrepreneurial behaviour among our youths.