THE ROLE OF BUSINESS EDUCATION IN POVERTY REDUCTION IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study investigated the role of business education in poverty reduction in Edo State. The study employed the survey method which involves the administration of structured questionnaire to appropriate respondents (100 respondents) in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. In order to effectively conduct a valid analysis of the data collected on the research field, the researcher used descriptive statistical methods including tables, percentages, ratios and charts. However, to determine the role of business education in poverty reduction in Edo State, the ordinary least square econometric technique was employed. The results from the empirical analysis generally indicate that teaching students finance and tax related issues, developing analytical and evaluating business skills in students and trainings on professions and home management occupations have significant positive influence on poverty reduction. On the other hands, while teaching students finance and tax related issues has significant negative impact on poverty reduction, providing career information to students and encouragement of students in business education do not significantly influence poverty reduction in Edo State. The conclusion is that, poverty reduction in Edo State can be effectively reduced by teaching student’s business education in tertiary institutions. The study recommends among others that, there is the need for government and policy makers to come up with a broad based program that will help to reduce the scourge of poverty in Edo State by repositioning and strengthening business education in the way it is being handled in the Nigerian Universities and other tertiary institutions. Doing this will go a long way to minimize the scourge of poverty in the State.