Entrepreneurial Intentions among Nigerian Undergraduates

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the entrepreneurial intention of a sample of Nigerian undergraduates who have been exposed to a course in entrepreneurship. The role of gender, locus of control and the occupation of parents in shaping such intentions was analyzed. The study is based on a sample of 135 undergraduates in the Faculty of Management of Sciences. The research instrument was a questionnaire containing among other items, the enlarged version of Rotter’s I-E scale. Descriptive and regression techniques were used to analyse the data. The results showed that males scored slightly higher in terms of locus of control internality. The occupation of the mother in the family and her reaction to the expressed desire of the children to enter into entrepreneurial role and locus of control internality were important influences on the entrepreneurial intentions of graduates. Entrepreneurial education should seek to enhance the locus of control internality of undergraduates, eliminates barriers to female entrepreneurship and make the business environment more entrepreneur-friendly.