Study of the Relevance of Business Education Curriculum to Entrepreneurship Development in Anambra State

Business education is expected to serve as a foundation for entrepreneurship, and examining the alignment between the Business Education curriculum and actual entrepreneurial competency needs in South East Nigeria provides evidence for curriculum reform in a region with vibrant commercial culture. This study examined the relevance of the Business Education curriculum to entrepreneurship competency development among Senior Secondary School students in Awka South and Onitsha North Local Government Areas, Anambra State, South East Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with questionnaires administered to 100 Business Education teachers and 40 industry-linked respondents (including SME owners and vocational training providers). The questionnaire assessed curriculum coverage of entrepreneurial skills, adequacy of practical components, and alignment with contemporary business requirements. Results showed that accounting and secretarial subjects received the highest curriculum emphasis (78.0 percent), while innovation, digital commerce, and self-employment skills received below-average coverage in 67.0 percent of respondents' assessments. Practical business simulation activities were conducted by only 27.0 percent of teachers. Industry respondents rated Business Education graduates' readiness for self-employment as low in 72.5 percent of cases. The study concludes that the Business Education curriculum in Anambra State is insufficiently oriented toward active entrepreneurship and recommends the inclusion of business plan development, digital commerce training, and structured internship components to close the entrepreneurship-curriculum gap.

Keywords: Business Education curriculum, entrepreneurship, secondary school, Anambra State, curriculum relevance