HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION IN NIGERIA By Carol O. Ezeugbor, (Ph.D) Department of Educational Management And Policy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Phone number: 08068374278 E-mail: Carolezeugbor@yahoo.com Abstract Over the years higher education in Nigeria had been faced with a great challenge of producing graduates who are unemployed. This took its root on the policy that hitherto was based on the production of manpower to man positions which would strengthen the colonial administration and for paid employment. Today, efforts have been made to review and revise the national policy on education to be in line with global challenges in preparing the students for self-reliance. This if well implemented would serve as a panacea for solving the massive unemployment problem, diminish rural poverty and empower a larger percentage of the graduates economically. This paper discussed the concern to redesign university programme to incorporate entrepreneurship education, a historical over view of higher education policy and self-reliance. It also looked at university education and entrepreneurship. It could be true that since the past two decades attention of both the federal and state government had been drawn to incorporating entrepreneurship education in higher institutions, there could still be an urgent need to link education with enterprise and self-reliance through an integrated national policy as an imperative for effective man power planning. There was also the need to redirect through the policy an emphasis that all disciplined based programmes should incorporate the development of enterprising spirit in all facets of the training. Introduction On the eve of a new century, there was an unprecedented demand for and a great diversification in higher education, as well as an increased awareness of its vital importance for socio-cultural and economic development, and for building the future, for which the younger generations will need to be equipped with new skills, knowledge and ideals. (World Conference on Higher Education in the 21 st Century: Vision & Action 1998). Higher or tertiary education is referred to as the