Entrepreneurial skills development: an imperative to sustainable economic development of students in Nigerian universities

Entrepreneurship skill development has become a global project. Its popularity cuts across both industrialized and underdeveloped countries respectively. The increasing interest in entrepreneurship skill development is a tribute to its importance which ranges from raising awareness of students about business skills, knowledge, promoting creativity to innovation and self-employment; to mention but a few. This calls for entrepreneurship education that will equip the students upon graduation to be fitted in the dynamic society. This includes the acquisition of skills in areas that will be useful to students and make them self-reliant, independent and productive citizens of the society. This paper examines therefore, the concepts of skill, entrepreneurship and entrepreneur, rationale for developing entrepreneurial skills, skills required in entrepreneurship and the relevance of such skills. It further discusses how students can acquire these skills which are tools for their sustainable economic development. Finally, it also looked at the constrains to entrepreneurial skill development and strategies for promoting entrepreneurship skill in Nigerian students. It is recommended among others that the curriculum developers should integrate those subjects that will help the students to acquire necessary skills needed for sustenance of one's life and the society at large.