Speaker
Description
Ekankumo, B.
Isaac Jasper Boro Collge of Education Sagbama Bayelsa State Nigeria
banaboalex@yahoo.com
Track: Digital Transformation in Higher Education
Digital Entrepreneurship and Higher Education Transformation in Nigeria: Reimaging the Future of Higher Education in Nigeria.
By
Dr. Banabo Ekankumo
Department of Business Education
Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education Sagbama Bayelsa.
banaboalex@yahoo.com ; +2347066980995.
Abstract
The rapid expansion of digital technologies is reshaping economies, labor markets, and educational systems worldwide, creating new opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. In Nigeria, the growing digital economy presents a unique opportunity for higher education institutions to transform their traditional roles from centers of knowledge transmission to hubs of innovation, enterprise creation, and skills development. This paper examines the relationship between digital entrepreneurship and higher education transformation in Nigeria, with a focus on how universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education can be reimagined to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the knowledge-based economy. Drawing on contemporary literature, policy frameworks, and emerging trends in digital innovation, the study explores the role of digital entrepreneurship in fostering creativity, technological competence, job creation, and economic resilience among graduates. . The paper argues that embedding digital entrepreneurship within teaching, research, and community engagement can enhance graduate employability, stimulate innovation ecosystems, and strengthen institutional relevance in a rapidly changing world. The study therefore suggests that a transformative framework that emphasizes digital literacy, entrepreneurial education, industry-academia collaboration, innovation hubs, startup incubation, and supportive policy environments. It concludes that the future of higher education in Nigeria depends on its capacity to embrace digital transformation and cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets capable of driving inclusive economic growth and national development.
Keywords: Digital Entrepreneurship, Higher Education Transformation, Digital Innovation, Entrepreneurship Education, Graduate Employability.