CHALLENGES TO STUDENT BUSINESS START-UPS AFTER ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS TRAINING IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN NORTH-WEST NIGERIA

Abstract

Entrepreneurship education has become a strategic intervention for addressing graduate unemployment and promoting self-employment in Nigeria. In response to the growing unemployment challenge, Colleges of Education have integrated entrepreneurship education and practical skills training into their curricula to equip students with competencies required for venture creation. Despite these efforts, relatively few graduates successfully establish sustainable businesses after completing entrepreneurship training, indicating the existence of persistent barriers beyond skills acquisition. This paper examines the challenges to student business start-ups after entrepreneurship skills training in Colleges of Education in North-West Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigates financial, institutional, mentorship, infrastructural, regulatory, and socio-cultural constraints affecting students' transition from entrepreneurship training to business ownership. The paper also explores the implications of these challenges for graduate employability, economic development, and entrepreneurship policy. A descriptive survey research design is proposed, targeting final-year students and recent graduates from selected Colleges of Education in the North-West geopolitical zone. Findings provided empirical evidence for policymakers, educational administrators, entrepreneurship centre managers, and development agencies seeking to improve entrepreneurship education outcomes and strengthen graduate business creation. The study recommends improved access to start-up finance, structured mentorship programmes, stronger institutional support, business incubation centres, and enhanced collaboration between Colleges of Education and industry.