Abstract
In a quest to promoting the development of entrepreneurship and small businesses in Nigeria, government in 2006 approved the total commitment of higher institutions in providing entrepreneurship education to Nigerian students by making entrepreneurship a compulsory course for all students irrespective of their disciplines. This paper examined the role of higher institutions in promoting entrepreneurship and small business in Nigeria. A critical review of entrepreneurship education in Nigeria reveals that the programme has helped in instilling and reviving entrepreneurial spirits in the minds of Nigerians, thereby encouraging and providing individuals with career options, self-sustenance, and self-reliance. This paper has also highlighted the challenges and concerns that threaten the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in Nigeria. The paper recommends that entrepreneurship education should be introduced at the primary and secondary levels of the Nigerian educational sector as this will further boost the urge and drive for entrepreneurial practice and career option.