A Professor of Management at Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, Hauwa Lamino Abubakar, has called for the introduction of compulsory entrepreneurship education at the primary school level as part of efforts to prepare Nigerian youths for business creation and national development.
She also proposed the establishment of a National Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Coordination Agency to harmonise entrepreneurship policies, strengthen collaboration among stakeholders and support innovation-driven enterprises across the country.
Prof. Abubakar made the recommendations while delivering the Seventh Inaugural Lecture of Nile University titled, “Entrepreneurship as a Development Architecture: The Lamino Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Achievement Process (LEEAP) for Emerging Economies.”
The don argued that entrepreneurship should no longer be treated as isolated programmes but as a comprehensive framework for economic growth, job creation and sustainable national development.
According to her, entrepreneurship development must begin with deliberate investment in human capital through the education system, starting from childhood.
She explained that primary schools should focus on shaping entrepreneurial attitudes, creativity, resilience and leadership values through compulsory entrepreneurship-oriented curricula, while secondary schools should emphasise practical business and managerial skills.
By the time students reach tertiary institutions, she said, the focus should shift from entrepreneurial orientation to teaching students how to effectively build, manage and sustain businesses.
“From my observation as a lecturer and founder, I have seen how young entrepreneurs struggle because they weren’t taught from an early age. They don’t have the proper orientation,” she said.
“The foundation stage of this human capital development should start at the primary level, where attitudes are formed. Government needs to provide policies that make entrepreneurship-oriented curricula compulsory in primary schools.
“This should then be followed at the secondary school stage with knowledge of business and managerial skills so that by the time students get to tertiary institutions, they are no longer learning entrepreneurial mindset but learning how to actually run businesses effectively,” she added.
Prof. Abubakar identified several challenges limiting entrepreneurship growth in Nigeria, including poor infrastructure, weak institutional coordination, inadequate support systems and limited access to finance.
She stressed that entrepreneurial success depends not only on individual effort but also on the strength of the ecosystem supporting innovation and enterprise development.
The professor noted that Nigeria’s economy relies heavily on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which she said contribute between 46 and 48 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product and account for up to 88 per cent of employment nationwide.
She disclosed that the country currently has about 39.6 million MSMEs, underscoring the importance of creating policies that support business growth and youth innovation.
Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of Nile University, Prof. Dilli Dogo, also stressed the need for an inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem capable of removing barriers hindering business development.
He identified challenges such as inadequate financing, poor infrastructure and lack of an enabling environment as major obstacles confronting aspiring entrepreneurs in Nigeria.
“A lot of Nigerians want to get involved in one form of entrepreneurship or the other, but until the necessary atmosphere is created and enabled that will drive purposeful entrepreneurship, it remains a big hurdle for our youth and entrepreneurs,” he said.