Entrepreneurial Education as Key for Africa Economic Emancipation

The purpose of this study is to assess entrepreneurial education as key for Africa economic emancipation. Entrepreneurial education is crucial for economic development in Africa. However, its current focus on Western principles raises concerns about its relevance in Africa. The lack of African-oriented definitions of entrepreneurship education may be connected to the limited interest in entrepreneurship as a career in the region. Unlike developed countries, where entrepreneurship drives innovative industries, African entrepreneurship is often driven by survivalist intentions, where many entrepreneurs live to survive. This raises questions about how entrepreneurship in Africa contributes to the economy without promoting creative innovation. Nigeria, being the giant of Africa has the largest number of youths who are yet to be properly mobilized and empowered for gainful economic activities. This can only be curbed through entrepreneurship education which involves teaching and learning of the needed skills and knowledge that equip one to become self-reliant and independent through being an effective and successful initiator, manager, innovator and risk bearer of business undertakings. Given these factors, evaluating the role of entrepreneurship education in this context is essential. A qualitative case study approach was employed as methodology for the study based on exploratory and comparative design, using country such as United State, Israel, Nigeria and Spain. The extent to which entrepreneurship education has achieved its objectives in Africa is not well known. Hence, the need to examine its roles and barriers to effective entrepreneurship activities and proffer some strategies that could enhance entrepreneurship education and its activities so that its objectives could be achieved in Africa. Based on the discussion of findings, the paper recommended amongst others that Africa’s education system should be revived to give credence to entrepreneurship education. School curricula need urgent review to make entrepreneurship education relevant and practice oriented.