BLOCKCHAIN READINESS AND TRAINING NEEDS OF BUSINESS EDUCATION UNDERGRADUATES IN UNIVERSITIES IN ANAMBRA STATE
Abstract
This study addresses the critical misalignment between traditional Business Education curricula and the burgeoning decentralized digital economy within the Nigerian tertiary education sector. The primary objective was to assess the level of blockchain readiness and identify specific technical training needs among final-year Business Education undergraduates in Anambra State. Adopting a descriptive survey research design, the study utilized a census sampling technique to engage the entire population of 124 final-year students across Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam. Data were collected via a validated 4-point structured questionnaire and analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and independent samples t-tests. Findings revealed a critically low level of blockchain readiness (x̅ = 2.18, SD = 0.84) across psychological and technical indicators, while simultaneously identifying an urgent, high demand for specialized training (x̅ = 3.51, SD = 0.65) in areas such as smart contract navigation and digital certificate verification, among others. Furthermore, the inferential analysis indicated no significant institutional difference in readiness or needs, suggesting a systemic deficit. The study concludes that without immediate intervention, graduates remain structurally ill-equipped for the mandates of the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS). Consequently, it is recommended that the National Universities Commission (NUC) should mandate the integration of blockchain-specific modules into the Business Education curriculum to align pedagogical output with current global financial shifts, among other strategic recommendations.
Keywords: Blockchain Readiness, Business Education, CCMAS, Training Needs, Decentralized Economy
Chinedu A. Nwafor and Anthonia E. Akaenyi
Department of Accounting Education; Department of Office Technology & Management
School of Business Education, Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze