15 Mbah & Okeke ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT IN SELECTED STATES IN SOUTH-EAST, NIGERIA Stella Mbah Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam & Goodfaith Okeke Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam Abstract The study aimed at investigating entrepreneurship education and youth empowerment in selected states in south-east Nigeria. Relevant literature on entrepreneurship education and youth empowerment were reviewed. The human capital theory formed the theoretical framework while the cross-sectional research design was adopted for the study. The sample size for this research was 400. Simple percentage was used in analyzing the research questions while the Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) method was used in testing the hypotheses. The study revealed that skill acquisition has a significant effect on youth empowerment. Innovation and Opportunity recognition significantly influence youth empowerment. The study concluded that entrepreneurship education creates employment among the youth thereby boosting their self-teem. Skills are acquired in recognizing business opportunities and inculcating innovative culture, which contribute to the development of the economy. The study recommended that the government should provide enough training facilities where skill acquisition programmes will be held. The youth should be granted credit facilities and loans to enable them put their creative ideas into practice. Introduction Investment in quality education is fundamental to the construction of knowledge and is a critical component of a nation's developmental efforts. It is seen as the cornerstone of development because it forms the basis of literacy, skill acquisition, technological advancement, knowledge acquisition and ability to harness the natural resources of the environment. (Riti & Kamar, 2015). In this, the society depends increasingly on knowledge through education. Pargaru, Ghergina & Duca (2009) summarized that the secret of a future society is education but not in the old fashioned concept of teaching but of permanent education over the entire lifetime, to gain superior competencies which include; to verify, to conceive, to create and to invent. Permanent education referred to in this context include entrepreneurship education. In this paper, entrepreneurship education is conceptualized as a process that provides trainees with knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to create wealth for poverty reduction and self- employment. Entrepreneurship is not just running a small business that already exists, rather, it is change management, creative thinking, opportunity seeking and innovativeness (Bagheri and Pihe, 2010). The entrepreneurship education process is designed to empower individuals with innovative and creative enterprise skills required to identify business opportunities and initiate new ventures which can contribute to economic development and poverty reduction. Akpoveta and 10.36108/unizikjb/0202.30.0120 Vol. 3 Issue 1 (2020)