REIMAGINING MUSIC EDUCATION FOR JOB CREATION AND SELF-RELIANCE IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined how music education in North Central Nigeria can be reimagined to support job creation and self-reliance among youth, drawing on qualitative interview data from students and lecturers in four tertiary institutions offering music programmes in the region. Using a qualitative research design, purposively selected samples of 63 music students and 12 music lecturers were interviewed. They provided their perceptions of the entrepreneurial adequacy of current music curricula, the competencies students possess and require, and the barriers constraining music-based enterprise. The findings are interpreted through Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Theory and Constructivist Learning Theory, and both are used to recommend a way forward for entrepreneurship-integrated music education in the region. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed a consistent gap between the largely theoretical and performance-oriented content of existing programmes and the practical, business-related competencies needed for self employment in music. Both students and lecturers identified curriculum rigidity and limited industry collaboration as central constraints. There was a convergence of strong support for the deliberate integration of business management, copyright and royalties’ education, digital marketing, and experiential, project-based learning into music programmes. The study concludes that reimagining music education along these lines can meaningfully advance job creation and self-reliance among music graduates in North Central Nigeria.