Effect of entrepreneurship education on student-founded startups: Evidence from Federal University of technology Owerri and Nnamdi Azikiwe University entrepreneurship Students

This study examined the influence of the quality of entrepreneurship education, mentorship, and institutional support on the formation of student startups in two Nigerian universities: the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK). A descriptive survey research design was adopted, as the study was conducted among students who had taken entrepreneurship courses in the two universities. The respondents comprised 250 students, including 100 from FUTO and 150 from UNIZIK, selected through a stratified random sampling technique. Primary data on the key variables—quality of entrepreneurship education, mentorship, and institutional support—were collected using a structured questionnaire. The hypotheses were tested using both descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics, including Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. The results revealed a positive and significant relationship between the quality of entrepreneurship education and student startup formation (r = 0.78, p < 0.05). Mentorship also showed a strong positive effect (r = 0.71, p < 0.05), indicating that students who had access to experienced mentors were more likely to initiate and sustain entrepreneurial ventures. Institutional support recorded the strongest relationship (r = 0.84, p < 0.05), suggesting that the availability of university-based incubation centres, funding schemes, and policy support significantly enhances student startup development. The findings further indicated that institutional support was the most important determinant of student startup formation, followed by quality of entrepreneurship education and mentorship.