Examining the Role of Business Education in National Development Planning in Nigeria: A Critical Policy Analysis

This study conducted a critical policy analysis of the role of Business Education in national development planning in Nigeria, examining the extent to which Business Education policy has been coherently integrated into successive national development plans from Vision 2020 to the Nigeria Agenda 2050. National development planning in Nigeria has consistently identified human capital development as a central pillar, yet the specific contribution of Business Education to national development goals has remained poorly articulated and inconsistently supported in policy and resource allocation. Drawing on the Critical Policy Analysis Framework, the Human Capital Theory, and the Education-Development Nexus, a qualitative policy analysis design was adopted. Primary data sources included twelve national development plan documents, forty Business Education curriculum and accreditation policy texts, and sixty in-depth interviews with senior policymakers, university administrators, Business Education faculty, and development economists in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, and Enugu. Analysis employed critical discourse analysis, policy network analysis, and comparative policy benchmarking against four African nations with stronger Business Education-development integration records. Findings reveal systemic policy incoherence, fragmented institutional responsibilities, and under-resourcing of Business Education within national development frameworks. Business Education appears in development plans as a generic sub-category of human capital development rather than as a strategically differentiated sector. The study makes an original critical policy contribution by mapping the institutional and discursive gaps in Nigeria Business Education-development policy interface and recommends a dedicated National Business Education Development Strategy as a policy priority. Keywords: Business Education policy, national development planning, critical policy analysis, Nigeria, human capital