Article Sidebar
Published:
May 31, 2018Keywords:
Article Details
NAJ supports free online communication and exchange of knowledge as the most effective way of ensuring that the fruits of research and development practice are made widely available. It is therefore committed to open access, which, for authors, enables the widest possible dissemination of their findings and, for readers, increases their ability to discover pertinent information. The Journal adopts and uses the CC: BY license and is open access. This license lets others distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the Journal’s published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work. Copyright for articles published in this Journal is retained by the Journal.
Main Article Content
Effects of socio-economic empowerment on entrepreneurial capacity: a case study of agro-firms in Aba Metropolis, Abia State, Nigeria
Abstract
This study aimed at ascertaining the effect of socio-economic empowerment on entrepreneurial capacity: a study of agro-firms in Aba metropolis, Abia state, Nigeria. The specific objectives includes: to determine the socio-economic characteristics of agro-based entrepreneurs; analyse the factors affecting the entrepreneurial capacity of agro-based entrepreneurs; analyse the factors affecting the socio-economic empowerment of agro-based entrepreneurs; analyse the relationship between socio-economic empowerment and entrepreneurial capacity of agro-based entrepreneurs; analyse the relationship between the entrepreneurial capacity, financial equity and debt of agrobased entrepreneurs. To achieve this, a sample size of 140 (one hundred and forty) agro-based entrepreneurs in Aba metropolis was chosen. Data presentation and analyses were done using simple descriptive statistics, probit regression and correlation analysis. Findings from the analysis showed that educational level, years of experience, income, labour force, raw materials, access to loan and customer base, initial capital, age and financial equity are all significant factors affecting the entrepreneurial capacity of agro-firms. There was also a strong positive relationship between socio-economic empowerment and entrepreneurial capacity. The study recommends that government empowerment programmes should be restructured, re-designed, and should centre on ― participatory approach‖. This approach emphasizes the importance of involving the beneficiaries in all stages of the programme. This approach emphasizes the importance of involving the beneficiaries in all stages of the programme. There should be greater investment in human capital investment of youths. This implies that improvement in education, health and nutrition, employment opportunities, and social services, directly address the most important problem of poverty and reduces crime among youths. Government should also organize empowerment programmes so as to train and fund aspiring agro-based entrepreneurs. This would lead to self-sufficiency which is the object of today‘s government.
Keywords: Socio-Economic Empowerment, Entrepreneurial Capacity and Agro-Firms
