Science and Technology Education as Tools for Acquisition of Innovative and Entrepreneurial Skills for Poverty Eradication Towards Sustainable Development

This paper discussed the relevance of science and technology education, as important instruments for acquiring innovative and entrepreneurial skills for poverty eradicationt owards sustainable development in Nigeria. Specifically, this paper explained some of the best and easiest ways of eradicating poverty in order to achieve sustainable development as to be through acquisition of innovative and entrepreneurial skills embedded in the science and technology curriculum from secondary and tertiary levels of education. Innovative and entrepreneurial skills acquisition in Nigeria entails focusing on what should be done to bridge the gap between the school and labour market, where the learner will work after graduation, so as to be self-sustain and self-reliant in the society and also to guarantee Sustainable development. Entrepreneurship is considered as an alternative way to tackle some of the socio-economic problems that bedevilled many nations presently and Nigeria is not an exceptional, especially the problem of high rate of poverty due to the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria. Innovative and entrepreneurial skills are acquired through training that emphasizes the acquisition and development of appropriate knowledge and skills and enable an individual to maximize the resources around him within the limit of his capability which could invariably lead to poverty eradication and thereby resulting to sustainable development. It was concluded that science and  technology education must be given due attention by the ministry of education and the teachers in secondary and tertiary institutions as it could equip learners with the appropriate innovative and entrepreneurial skills for poverty eradication; stimulating employment and economic growth and thereby resulting to sustainable development. The paper recommended among others that, since innovative and entrepreneurial skills can be acquired through efficient and effective knowledge of science and technology; science and technology education should be taught with relevant and appropriate tools by teachers.