Journal of Management and Sustainability; Vol. 4, No. 1; 2014 ISSN 1925-4725 E-ISSN 1925-4733 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 189 Handling Entrepreneurship in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria Ama Aka Udu 1 1 Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria Correspondence: Ama Aka Udu, Business Management Department, Faculty of Management Sciences, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria. E-mail: amanneudu@yahoo.com Received: August 28, 2013 Accepted: October 30, 2013 Online Published: February 25, 2014 doi:10.5539/jms.v4n1p189 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/jms.v4n1p189 Abstract The paper uses eclectic entrepreneurship theories to identify and develop strategies aimed at creating passion and arousing entrepreneurial interests among Nigerian academics and graduates. The concern of the paper stems from the fact that most graduates of Nigerian tertiary institutions are seen milling around private and public establishments seeking for both solicited and unsolicited job opportunities as if being self employed is a crime. The University and the academics hardly look outside the box to see investment and research yearning opportunities that could robustly create streaming funding. The paper sees entrepreneurship as the process of generating sound investment ideas and the applications thereof. Consequently, entrepreneurs are discussed as those who exhibit rare and sound investment ideas and who characteristically take the ideas to the industry where values are infused. Descriptive survey design using conversation and discourse analyses was adopted. The major finding of the paper is that there is significant lack of a workable model that reflects the Nigerian ecosystem in terms of appropriately utilizing academic intellectual potentials and as well inculcating entrepreneurial spirits into the undergraduates at all levels. The implication of this is that graduates leave the university system without a vision and /or an idea of how to create job opportunities. As a result of the findings, the paper suggests the establishment of incubation centers, entrepreneurship clubs, role model interactions and mentoring among others in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Keywords: entrepreneurial interests, job opportunities, value creation, wealth creation, tertiary institutions 1. Introduction Given the level of unemployment and underemployment in Nigeria especially among the youths, the Nigerian tertiary educational system can no longer be insensitive in developing strategies and methods aimed at promoting entrepreneurship culture. Tertiary institutions are established on the threshold of teaching, learning, research and community development. To be seen to live up to expectations in these teething period of unemployment and underdevelopment, the educational system and indeed, the academics need to boost entrepreneurship through arousing the entrepreneurial spirits of the students, creating their passion for self dependence and as well improving employment and developing the economic sector and encouraging social cohesion. This has become necessary especially as the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have shown that economic prosperity and the level of entrepreneurship development a nation attends have a linear relationship. Cohesion are effective engine for natural economic develop and social entrepreneurship activities. In studies conducted by Crijns & Vermeulen (2007) and Cuervo et al. (2007), it was observed that entrepreneurship and the progress of any economy are difficult to separate. To join the league of emerging economies, the tertiary institutions have the challenge to intervene – socially and economically. The intervention calls for new technology, indigenous methods of entrepreneurship development, different approach to thinking, a new world view, indeed a new paradigm in learning, teaching, research and community development. The indigenous approach is able to identify and focus on institutional and regional strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the context of the Nigerian environment, develop an operational model with and for the local environment. This will no doubt arouse and create the required passion for entrepreneurship development with its concomitant effect of lifting the Nigerian nation state away from the doldrums of poverty and underdevelopment as jobs are created and the economy becomes globally competitive. However, considering the Nigerian economic environment and her educational system the contentious issue will be do we need generic research or modularize research approach in order to achieve the expected result.