ENTREPRENEURSHIP, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: INSIGHTS FROM N-POWER (N-TEACH) PROGRAMME BENEFICIARIES IN NGURU, YOBE STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

N-Power Programme is the component of National Social Investment Programme of the Federal Republic of Nigeria established with the primary objective of addressing youth unemployment and enhancing social development across communities. The N-Teach is a sub-component of the N-Power that engages graduates in volunteer teaching across communities which earns them ₦30,000 monthly. However, the N-Teach does not include entrepreneurship or any life-long skills acquisition. This study assesses the perspective of N-Teach beneficiaries on the precedence of entrepreneurship on human development and economic growth in Nguru community of Yobe State, Nigeria. The study is a qualitative research that utilised in-depth interviews in generating data and complemented with desk review of literature. Snowball approach was adopted in determining respondents across the study area. The study revealed that the beneficiaries of N-Teach considers the precedence of entrepreneurship skills and start-up capital for businesses over teaching for monthly pay of ₦30,000. The beneficiaries consider entrepreneurship as a suitable way of achieving human development and economic growth. The beneficiaries who are mostly youths considers entrepreneurship a preferred youth empowerment strategy that is more sustainable and suitable for economic growth and development. Therefore, the beneficiaries prefer to be trained with certain skills and given start-up capital so that they would make higher income and better contribute to the economic growth of their communities and the state, rather than the teaching job that comes with a definite monthly income. Based on the findings, the study concludes that entrepreneurship is the preferred choice of N-Teach beneficiaries rather than teaching engagement that comes with a monthly definite income. The study recommends that N-Teach component of N-Power Programme be discarded entirely while entrepreneurship components should be emphasized. Also, choice of beneficiaries should be based on who are genuinely passionate about business investment, and perhaps those who are already operating different small and medium scale enterprises.