European Scientific Journal September 2013 edition vol.9, No.25 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e - ISSN 1857- 7431 38 STIMULATING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA A.J.C. Onu, PhD Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Abstract The unprecedented increase in the number of unemployed graduates from tertiary institutions in Nigeria is alarming and calls for concern. Entrepreneurship is regarded as a veritable tool necessary to address this socio-economic problem. Entrepreneurship in education seeks to provide students with the knowledge, skills and motivation to encourage entrepreneurial success in a variety of settings. This paper examines the emergence of entrepreneurship and attempts to transfer the learning public sector entrepreneurship into an education context. This paper is a theoretical discourse and utilizes basically secondary data. The paper found that entrepreneurship is a learnable process that can be taught, nurtured, supported and enhanced through education and training. It concluded that entrepreneurship is worthy of study by students of all disciplines and managers of educational institutions. The paper recommended, among others, the need to motivate and inspire educational institutions in Nigeria to plan and establish training in entrepreneurship. Keywords: Stimulating, Entrepreneurship, Educational. Institutions Introduction Education in Nigeria has its origin from the colonial period. The education policy was basically directed towards producing manpower for the colonial masters to utilize in the effective administration of Nigeria colony and protectorates. The aim of the policy was to turn-out Nigerians who could read and write and act as clerks, interpreters, inspectors (Garba, 2010) and perform other menial responsibilities. They were not imparted with entrepreneurial or professional skills to establish and manage their own business ventures. The industrial policy established immediately after independence in Nigeria placed emphasis and concentrated attention on establishing big companies (Aladekomo, 2004) instead of developing the small scale sector of the economy. This negligence affected the growth of