Integrating Non-Formal Education Approaches into Formal Schools’ Curricular as a Viable Strategy for Effective Edupreneurship in Nigeria

Authors

  • Muhammad BABA Department of Educational Foundations, Niger State College of Education, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria
  • Fatima JIYA Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education, Niger State College of Education, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria
  • Harunna IDRIS Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education, Niger State College of Education, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

Keywords:

Formal education, Non-formal education, Integration, Edupreneurship

Abstract

The paper presents the vitality of blending non-formal education approaches with formal schools’ curricular as a tool for entrepreneurship development in Nigerian educational system. In other words, it examines the policy of integrating non-formal educational approaches into the conventional or mainstream school curricular in Nigeria towards community and national development. The paper made some conceptual clarifications of formal and non-formal education for proper perspective. It identified those specific non-formal education programmmes that could serve as veritable alternative educational provisions for empowering the citizenry in a developing economy like Nigeria. This paper is based on the growing recognition among governments and stakeholders in third world countries that functional education for the generality of the people is unlikely to be achieved through emphasis on formal schooling alone. The paper further looked at specific challenges that could serve as obstacles to the implementation of a viable integration of non-formal approaches into formal education system. The paper concludes that, if the policy of integration of non-formal education into formal school system can be effectively implemented in Nigeria, it will contribute greatly to the realization of Nigerian national goals of becoming a self-reliant as well as a dynamic economy. Based on the challenges identified, the paper proffers some suggestions as ways forward. These include: need for policy review in the educational system, appropriate recognition of the non-formal system of education, attaching emphasis on functionality of products from formal schools rather than paper qualifications among others.

Author Biographies

Muhammad BABA, Department of Educational Foundations, Niger State College of Education, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

Department of Educational Foundations, Niger State College of Education, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

Fatima JIYA, Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education, Niger State College of Education, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education, Niger State College of Education, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

Harunna IDRIS, Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education, Niger State College of Education, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education, Niger State College of Education, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

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Published

2025-01-30

How to Cite

BABA, M., JIYA, F., & IDRIS, H. (2025). Integrating Non-Formal Education Approaches into Formal Schools’ Curricular as a Viable Strategy for Effective Edupreneurship in Nigeria. Ilorin Journal of Education, 45(2), 494–500. Retrieved from https://ije.unilorinedu.sch.ng/index.php/ije/article/view/270