A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF PROVERBS 24:30-34: ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS IN EDO STATE

Abstract

Youth unemployment remains a critical socio-economic challenge in Edo
State, Nigeria, contributing to rising rates of poverty, crime, and migration.
Despite extensive governmental and non-governmental interventions,
effective and sustainable solutions have remained elusive. This study
investigates the potential for integrating moral and ethical teachings from
Proverbs 24:30 –34 into entrepreneurship education to foster a proactive
and resilient entrepreneurial mindset among unemployed youths in Edo
State. The paper adopts the Biblical Work Ethics Theory. A qualitative
research approach was employed, utilising content analysis of Proverbs
24:30 – 34 and a review of relevant literature on youth unemployment,
entrepreneurship development, and the influence of religious values in
Nigeria. Data were sourced from academic journals, policy reports, and
government statistics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with
youth leaders, entrepreneurship programme coordinators, and local clergy
in Edo State. The study finds that existing entrepreneurship programmes
often neglect the cultivation of positive work ethics, such as diligence,
discipline, and foresight. Integrating the consequences of laziness and the
virtues of industriousness into entrepreneurship training increases
programme acceptability and has the potential to foster greater personal
responsibility and resilience among participating youths. The paper
recommends that policymakers, educators, and religious leaders
collaborate to entrench biblical ethical teachings within entrepreneurship
curricula. Faith-based organisations should be engaged as partners in
delivering value-driven training, while continuous programme evaluation
should ensure that ethical and skill-based learning outcomes are balanced.
Such an approach promises to more effectively address the attitudinal and
practical barriers to youth unemployment in Edo State.