EFFECTS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT ON UNEMPLOYMENT REDUCTION IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA. A STUDY OF SELECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS.

This study examines the effects of entrepreneurial skills development on unemployment reduction in Delta State, Nigeria. The study adopts McClelland’s Achievement Motivation Theory, which posits that individuals equipped with entrepreneurial skills are more likely to innovate and create jobs. The research specifically accessed how dimensions of entrepreneurship—leadership, marketing and technical skills—affect unemployment reduction. The study adopted survey research design, and data were collected from 286 respondents through a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that technical skills, and leadership skills had significant positive effects on unemployment reduction, while marketing skills showed a positive but statistically insignificant relationship. Among all the entrepreneurial variables, technical skills emerged as the most influential predictor of unemployment reduction. This study recommends that increased government grants to youth-led startups, expanding vocational training programs to enhance technical skills and integrating entrepreneurial education into school curriculum is a viable strategy for reducing unemployment in Delta State. The research contributes to existing literature by empirically validating the hierarchy of entrepreneurial skills' effectiveness in unemployment reduction, offering actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders.