AAUA STUDENTS ENGAGEMENT IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACTIVITIES ON CAMPUS AND ITS IMPACT ON THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

The increasing involvement of university students in entrepreneurial activities has sparked debates regarding its influence on academic performance. In Adekunle Ajasin University (AAUA), a growing number of students engage in business ventures to supplement their financial needs, gain entrepreneurial experience, and secure economic independence. While entrepreneurship provides opportunities for self-sustenance and skill development, concerns persist regarding the extent to which these engagements affect students' academic achievements. This study examined AAUA students’ engagement in entrepreneurship activities on campus and its impact on their academic Achievements. The population of the study comprised all students in Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko Area of Ondo State. The research adopted purposive sampling techniques to select 100 entrepreneurial students in AAUA from the 9 Faculties. Thus a total of 100 respondents were involved in the study. Findings show that the type of entrepreneurial activities engaged by students on campus include buying and selling of products, service based businesses, while few students engaged in food-related businesses. That the motivating factor behind Adekunle Ajasin University Students’ involvement in entrepreneurship include the desire for financial independence, the desire to gain practical entrepreneurial skills, the university environment and the lack of employment opportunity in the nation as a whole. That entrepreneurship activities on campus, could have both positive and negative impact on students’ academic performance. That some of the challenges faced by student entrepreneurs including time constrain, financial constraints, inadequate support from the University Management, and peer pressure. The study recommend that some of the possible ways to help students to effectively balance entrepreneurship with academic commitment are that the University Management should provide flexible academic calendar to accommodate such students and that financial grants should be made available for such students.