The Impact of Entrepreneurship Education in Upscaling Entrepreneurial Intention among Undergraduates in Nigeria: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy and Innovation Orientation

Abstract

This study assess how entrepreneurship education (EE) increased undergraduates' entrepreneurial intention (EI) in Nigerian higher education, paying special emphasis to the mediating effects of innovation orientation (IO) and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE). Supported by cognitive-behavioral viewpoints and grounded in Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the study adopted a quantitative, cross-sectional survey approach. A stratified random selection technique was used to gather data from 400 final-year business administration students who were selected from six universities in Southwest Nigeria. Four main constructs (EE), (ESE), (IO), and (EI) were included in a standardized and verified questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha was used to confirm the instrument's reliability, and the results showed excellent internal consistency across constructs (α = 0.83–0.89). The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences was used to analyze the data. The demographic and construct-related variables of the respondents were summarized using descriptive statistics, frequency counts, and percentages. The hypothesized relationships were tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). The results showed that EI and EE had a substantial and favorable correlation (r = 0.641, p <.01). Additionally, it was discovered that IO (indirect effect = 0.19, p <.01) and ESE (indirect effect = 0.21, p <.01) partially mediate this relationship, suggesting that students' orientation toward innovation and confidence in their entrepreneurial skills greatly increase the impact of EE on EI. In total, almost 63% of the variation in EI was explained by the model. The study concludes that while EE provides a vital foundation for developing EI, its effectiveness is significantly strengthened when supported by SE and IO. It recommends that Nigerian tertiary institutions integrate experiential learning, mentorship, and creativity enhancing components into entrepreneurship curricula to foster self-confidence and innovative capacity among students.