ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILL ACQUISITION AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT: A PANACEA FORREDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria's fiscal and monetary authorities have pushed massive expansionary programmes to counter the
slowing effects of supply chain disruptions and a dip in production caused by COVID 19. Programs such as the
proposed employment of 774,000 Nigerians under the Special Public Works Programme of the Federal
government scheduled for October 2021, N-power, FarmerMoni, and TraderMoni under the Government
Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) have been initiated but this effort has refused to bring about
positive result. There is need to look for other possible ways to meet this shortfalls, the study observed that one
of the most efficient ways to tackle unemployment in Nigeria is through entrepreneurship skill acquisition and
empowerment. The objectives of entrepreneurship education includes but not limited to equipping individual
and creates in the person the mindset to undertake the risk of venturing into something new by applying the
knowledge and skills acquired in schools. The paper took a critical look at the roles of entrepreneurship
education such as provision of individual with adequate training that will enable creativity and innovative
relevance to skill acquisition which encourages self-employment and self-reliant. It reviewed some techniques of
acquiring entrepreneurship skills which includes industrial training exercise, workshop/seminar and this aid in
the empowerments of youth and consequently eradication of poverty and extreme hunger. The paper identified
some of the skills that can be acquired by youth through Entrepreneurship Education. The paper suggested that
the curriculum at all levels of education should be entrepreneurial based in Nigeria.