Integrating Societal Music Industry Experience into Curriculum-Based Entrepreneurship in the Department of Music, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria’s ongoing economic crisis, characterized by high unemployment, persistent inflation, and limited formal job opportunities, underscores the urgent need for effective entrepreneurship education capable of enhancing graduate employability. Within this context, this study adopts a qualitative case study design to examine how the integration of real-world music industry experiences into curriculum-based entrepreneurship education can enhance music performance practice, entrepreneurial competence, and career relevance among undergraduate music students in the Department of Music, University of Port Harcourt (Uniport). Grounded in virtue ethics and Dewey’s pragmatism, the study emphasizes experiential learning, ethical practice, and real-world problem solving as essential components of music entrepreneurship education. To achieve this objective, data were generated through structured and semi-structured interviews with a total of 70 participants, including 67 undergraduate music students randomly selected from a population of 147 across 100–400 levels, one graduate purposively selected to provide retrospective insights, and two academic staff members with extensive music industry engagement who were purposively selected to provide professional insights into curriculum relevance and industry linkages. Hence, while documentary analysis of the Departmental Handbook further complemented the data sources. Subsequently, data were analyzed thematically to identify patterns related to skill acquisition, industry exposure, entrepreneurial readiness, and constraints to income generation. Findings reveal that although the Department of Music has produced competent graduate entrepreneurs across various music specializations, limited access to structured industry engagement, production infrastructure, and promotional platforms, when combined with prevailing economic constraints, significantly hinders undergraduate students’ ability to translate acquired skills into sustainable income. Consequently, the study concludes that embedding supervised, curriculum-integrated music production, promotion, and performance projects can strengthen students’ entrepreneurial competence and better align university music education in Nigeria with employability goals. In this regard, the study recommends improved infrastructural provision and strategic industry collaborations within the Uniport Department of Music to deepen the integration of practical industry experiences, in support of the University’s mandate to produce self-reliant graduates.