Toward an agricultural–business education to enterprise (ABEE) framework: A conceptual synthesis of agripreneurship education in Africa, 2015–2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66817/mg5hbn13Keywords:
Keywords: Agricultural education; business education; agribusiness; agripreneurship; entrepreneurial competencies; experiential learning; higher education; AfricaAbstract
Background: Agricultural education in Africa is increasingly expected to prepare graduates for productive participation in agrifood value chains, including self-employment and enterprise development. However, technical agricultural competence does not automatically translate into entrepreneurial action or sustainable agribusiness performance.
Purpose: This conceptual paper synthesizes selected literature on the integration of agricultural, business and entrepreneurship education in African educational institutions and proposes the Agricultural–Business Education to Enterprise (ABEE) framework to explain progression from educational preparation to agribusiness outcomes.
Approach: A selective, illustrative synthesis of literature published between 2015 and 2025 was organized around six themes: curriculum integration, competencies, pedagogy, entrepreneurial readiness, enterprise transition and business performance. A five-level outcome hierarchy distinguishes competency acquisition, psychological readiness, entrepreneurial behaviour, enterprise establishment and enterprise performance. This is a conceptual contribution, not a systematic review; no exhaustive database search, PRISMA diagram or formal risk-of-bias appraisal was undertaken.
Findings: Commercial and digital skills are variably embedded in the curriculum, and research on students' skills focuses more frequently on attitudes and intentions than on recorded employment in agribusiness. Training evaluations show gains in skills and income, but transferability to formal education should be judged cautiously.
Originality: The paper argues that the central challenge is not merely including entrepreneurship courses but evaluating pathways connecting integrated competencies with entrepreneurial action and viable enterprises. The proposed ABEE framework links curriculum, experiential learning, readiness, enterprise establishment and performance, and is offered as a set of testable propositions rather than validated causal claims.
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