GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

The study investigated acquisition of verbal communication skills and ICT competency as determinants of job creation potentials of undergraduates in south-south federal universities, Nigeria. The study adopted ex-post-facto research design method. This study covers six federal Universities located in the South-South Geo-Political Zone. Multi-stage sampling technique was used as follows (stratified sampling technique to select 4 faculties from the three selected Federal Universities in the South-South zone and Simple random sampling was used in selecting the required sample size for each faculty in the study population). A sample size of 580 entrepreneurial undergraduate students from the three Universities were considered in the study. A sample size of 580 entrepreneurial undergraduate students from the three Universities were considered in the study. University of Calabar contributed 220 respondents, University of Uyo 171 respondents and University of Port Harcourt 189 respondents. This study used two research questionnaires to collect data from the respondents. They were titled ‘Undergraduate Students’ Entrepreneurship Skills Acquisition Questionnaire (USESAQ) and Job Creation Potentials Questionnaire (JCPQ) was designed by the researcher. The instruments were given to the researchers’ supervisor and 3 experts in Test and Measurement in the Faculty of Education, University of Calabar to screen the Items for face validity. Data collected were analyzed using Cronbach Alpha reliability test method to estimate their internal consistency. Using 6trained research assistants, copies of the questionnaires were distributed to the 3 sampled Universities on different times. The findings of the data analysis rejected the null hypothesis which stated that acquisition of verbal communication skills has no significant relationship to job creation potentials of undergraduates. The result in the same vein also rejected the null hypothesis which stated that there is no significant relationship between acquisition of ICT competency and job creation potentials of undergraduates. The study concluded that the acquisition of verbal communication skills and ICT competency significantly enhances the job creation potential of undergraduates in South-South Federal Universities in Nigeria. It was recommended among others that not only should entrepreneurship skills acquisition be made more of practical programme in schools but theories should equip the youths with the basic skills required for optimal performance, they will be able to create jobs and become self employed.

Keywords: Verbal Communication, ICT Competency, Undergraduates Students, Job Creation, South-South, Federal Universities and Nigeria.