University Education in Nigeria for Global Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship Development Job Creation and Wealth Generation: which Role for the Guidance Counsellor?

Abstract

Global competitiveness demands new ways of living, communicating and interacting. In the new world order international system of stratification has come to be based not on “who owns what” but on who knows what. Nigerian universities up to the 1970s produced graduates that could compete with graduates from other countries. Today, the story is different as university graduates cannot defend their degrees nor compete internationally. Many are considered half-baked and unemployable thus leading to large scale unemployment. Entrepreneurship education is being introduced in the Universities as a means of finding solution to the unemployment problem. In this regard the guidance counsellor has a number of roles to play. This paper maintains the stance that the counsellor liaising with university authorities, various occupational organization and small scale industrialists can counsel university students about entrepreneurial options, (career guidance) invite successful entrepreneurs to talk to students about their businesses, use bibliotherapeutic techniques and field trips among others to create entrepreneurial spirit in the students.

Keywords: Global competitiveness, entrepreneurship development, job creation, wealth generation and guidance counsellor.