Saleable Skills Required of Business Education Students for Self-Reliance in Kwara State

Afiss Adebayo Fawale (Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Nigeria)
Suliayat Ajoke Ogungboyega (Federal College of Education, Lagos, Nigeria)
Isiaka Raji (Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Nigeria)
Oluwatunmise Ayo Afolabi (Tai Solarin University of Education, Ogun State, Nigeria)

Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengembangan Sains dan Humaniora (JPPSH)
Vol. 10 No. 1 (2026): April - INPRESS

The high unemployment rate for college graduates shows that students' entrepreneurial skills are not yet optimal. Apart from that, there is a gap between the competencies obtained in college and the real needs to achieve economic independence. This research aims to analyze and evaluate the marketable skills that business education students need to achieve independence. This research is quantitative research with a survey design. The research subjects were 350 business education students from two universities in Kwara State, selected through purposive and random sampling techniques. The data collection method employs a validated structured questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential tests. The research results show that ICT skills, communication, financial literacy, creative thinking, and production skills such as project management and quality control are essential to achieving independence. The conclusion of this research is that comprehensive saleable skills play an important role in increasing students' readiness to become entrepreneurs and be economically independent. The implications of this research underscore the need to strengthen practice-based learning and integrate entrepreneurial skills into the business education curriculum.