PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION: THE ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION

Abstract

Entrepreneurship education programme has been implemented in all Nigerian higher institutions due to graduates persistent problem of unemployment, yet the unemployment rate is at increase and the main cause factors are not evidently identified. Hence, the objective of this study is to examine the moderating roll of entrepreneurship education on personality traits and entrepreneurial intention of university students. Survey research design was employed in the study. The data were collected from a sample of 484 out of a population of 23,502 students of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Bayero University Kano and Usman Danfodio University Sokoto respectively. The data collected were analysed using PLS-SEM version 3. The result of the study revealed that, perceived need for achievement, perceived locus of control and perceived risk propensity have positive and significant relationship on entrepreneurial intention. While perceived self[1]efficacy and perceived entrepreneurial creativity have insignificant direct relationship with entrepreneurial intention. Entrepreneurship education was found to moderate the relationship between perceived locus of control, perceived creativity, perceived self[1]efficacy and entrepreneurial intention. Meanwhile, entrepreneurship education failed to moderate the relationship between perceived risk propensity and entrepreneurial intention. However, the study concludes that, inorder to increase students’ intention, they need to be exposed into how they can identify their personal level of achievement and properly guided on how to apply it into real entrepreneurial action. Thus, the study recommends that universities should provide enabling environment where students can be assessed in order to fishout the direction of their individual thinking.