Historical Background Of Business Education In Nigeria

Here in this post, we are going to discuss the historical background of business education In Nigeria. We hope you find this article richly informative.

Business Education actually began as apprenticeship training. In other words, people then were learning trades under some other person who had the knowledge and the skill for the trade, or who was an expert or had experienced in a particular area of trade. And these trades include:

-Bookkeeping, and

-Farming, and

-Sales among others.

Although the duration of this training was not the same depending on the type of trade, most of the time, the duration was dependent on how fast the apprentice can learn the skill.

For example, sole traders then used to take apprentices for the purpose of assisting in the sale of wears via the learning of how this product was made.

These days, some of these skills are carried out and as well, acquired via apprenticeship training. So as time went by, the apprentice was able to gain his freedom after learning the trade and then became either a salesman or a bookkeeper.

During this period, the apprentice was expected to pay for the period of training but where he could not pay for the training, his family had to mortgage land or any property that was valuable.

At the expiration of the training, there were some options put in place, and this was that either the apprentice will remain with his master on monthly pay basis or he will be freed to establish his own personal business and as well, have his own apprentices.

But should he decided to remain with his master, then the master was obliged to make sure that, he feeds him and also provides him with every routine help.

In choosing this option, he was to still remain responsible to his master as well as, operate within the rules set up by his master.

And if you ask me, one of the things that made this training very interesting and very striking and of course, worth emulation, which is lacking in the present day, was that of the apprentice being worthy in character and also in learning.

In Nigeria, business education started in private business schools and private commercial schools. Some of these schools were recognized and approved by the Nigerian government.

Nonetheless, the earliest business education during colonial Nigeria was in the form of on-the-job, that is, after primary or post-primary education.

It was then believed that once a person completes secondary education, he can be trained on the job so as to acquire knowledge and skills in office occupation, apart from in typewriting and in shorthand areas of secretarial occupations.

That was why graduates of secondary schools were employed automatically as clerical officers once the applied and were interviewed.

As the demands for typewriting and shorthand arises, private schools, known as commercial schools were also established for the purpose of teaching typewriting and shorthand.

These were the schools that graduated typists and stenographers then into the civil service and other private business organizations or companies in Nigeria. These schools were known to have prepared candidates for RSA, that is, the Royal Society of Arts examinations.

Candidates, who succeeded in the examinations were employed by the Nigerian government and business organizations.

Majority of these employees were typists, while others were stenographers. And because these groups of employees usually benefited the most from the commercial training schools and even in government, many small scale private organizations were also established for the purpose of assisting in teaching mainly typewriting and shorthand. What actually do we referred to as business education? Let us look at that briefly before we proceed.

Business Education is an aspect of education that has to do with the learning of subjects, whose disciplines are related.

It has to do with the combination of two or more disciplines related mainly with the following:

-Shorthand writing, and

-Typewriting and,

-Accounting, and

-Business mathematics, and

-Secretarial duties, and

-Commerce and

-Office practice.

Business education has actually offered very many persons an opportunity to develop their abilities, and their skills, as well as, the understanding of the vocational and technical opportunity available to everyone.

However, one critical macro-economic challenge in the Nigerian system today is youths unemployment. Why unemployment? It is because most of the Nigerian graduates, who graduated from schools have nothing in them to create jobs and become employers of labour.

So when they graduated, they came out and look for jobs that do not exist anywhere. So against this backdrop, business education was introduced with the aim of meeting specific occupational needs of Nigerian graduates.

In other words, an undergraduate business education degree holder has what it takes to create jobs after graduation and become an employer of labour.

Therefore, in meeting the needs of the Nigerian society, the National Policy on Education NPE has identified the challenge of the present liberal education system for that of a utilitarian type of education.

And in recognition of the problem, the policy has decided that the business education programme be rather incorporated into the present Nigerian educational system, beginning from the junior secondary school to tertiary level, so that students can gradually develop their skills and competency.

Business education has indeed played a significant role in Nigeria’s economic growth and national development. The programme has improved students’ personal qualities and as well, builds their attitudes, which are quite important and necessary in helping students to adjust to both personal and employment situations.

Business education has also made provision for knowledge, and for skills and for competence for every recipient to function well especially in office occupation and has also helped in creating jobs for recipients and other members of the society.

Business education has actually offered very many persons an opportunity to develop their abilities, and their skills, as well as, the understanding of the vocational and technical opportunity available to everyone.

However, one critical macro-economic challenge in the Nigerian system today is youths unemployment. Why unemployment?

It is because most of the Nigerian graduates, who graduated from schools have nothing in them to create jobs and become employers of labour. Today, however, business education has actually reduced the burden of this challenge.