📖 ABSTRACT/OVERVIEW
The transition from studio arts education to sustainable professional practice presents fine arts graduates in Nigeria with significant entrepreneurial challenges, as the formal employment market for fine arts professionals remains limited and self-directed creative enterprise is the primary pathway to livelihood. This study examines the arts entrepreneurship competencies, business development strategies, and professional support needs of fine arts graduates working in Nigeria's creative economy. Primary data are gathered from 80 fine arts graduates who completed their studies within the past five years across institutions in Lagos, Enugu, and Kaduna through structured questionnaires and follow-up interviews. The study assesses entrepreneurial self-efficacy, income generation strategies, use of digital platforms for marketing, participation in professional networks, and the perceived adequacy of business education received during their degree programmes. The theoretical framework draws on arts entrepreneurship theory, the creative industries literature, and the human capital model of creative sector employment. A key research question concerns whether arts programmes in Nigerian universities are adequately preparing students for the commercial realities of the creative economy, or whether the studio focus of art education leaves graduates ill-equipped for entrepreneurial self-management. Recent literature has called for the integration of arts entrepreneurship education into fine arts degree curricula across Nigerian universities. Findings are expected to benefit the National Universities Commission, art departments, and creative economy development organisations seeking to improve graduate outcomes. Keywords: arts entrepreneurship, creative economy, fine arts graduates, Nigeria, professional development
Need Complete Chapters of the Above Topic?
Get high-quality, Zero-AI research materials with current citations.
Request via WhatsApp 💬