Digital Marketing Skills Possessed by Business Education Graduates for Employment Opportunities in Rivers State Universities

This study assessed the digital marketing skills possessed by Business Education graduates for employment opportunities in Rivers State Universities. The main objective was to determine whether these graduates possessed relevant competencies to thrive in today’s digital economy. Specifically, the study examined mobile marketing, content creation and social media marketing, The research adopted a descriptive survey design. The population comprised 340 postgraduate Business Education students, consisting of 40 from Rivers State University (RSU) and 300 from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE). The entire population was studied using a census sampling technique, making the sample size 340. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire titled “Digital Marketing Skills Possessed by Business Education Graduates for Employment Opportunities in Rivers State Universities”. The instrument was validated by three experts in Business Education and Measurement & Evaluation, while test-retest reliability produced a coefficient of 0.89. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for research questions and t-test statistics for hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that graduates from both institutions demonstrated high to very high proficiency across the five domains, with IAUE students excelling in analytical and content development skills, while RSU students showed stronger competence in automation tools and campaign execution. The study concluded that Business Education programmes in Rivers State Universities are generally aligned with digital labour market demands but require curriculum improvements to address specific weaknesses. It was recommended that universities integrate practical modules on mobile UX/UI design, podcasting, persuasive email campaigns, sales funnel creation, and social media analytics. Partnerships with industry players and workshops were also suggested to enhance students’ readiness for digital employment.