Entrepreneurship Education and Unemployment Reduction in Benue State, Nigeria

The study examined Entrepreneurship Education and Unemployment Reduction in Benue State, Nigeria. The population of the study comprises 270 beneficiaries of entrepreneurship training programmes in Central Bank of Nigeria Entrepreneurship Development Centre and Centre for Youths and Women Skills Acquisition training centers in Vandeikya Local Government Area while the sample size for the study is 125 respondents. The questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. Cronbach Alpha was used for reliability of instrument and factor analysis was employed to test the validity of the instrument. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools such as tables and simple percentages while multi regression was used for hypotheses testing with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 21). The findings of this study indicates that entrepreneurship education contribute significantly to unemployment reduction in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State through wealth creation (P-value 0.000< α 0.05). Findings of the study also revealed that entrepreneurship education has significant effect on unemployment reduction in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State through employment generation(P-value 0.000< α 0.05). Finally, the study revealed that entrepreneurship education has significant effect on skills acquisition in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State (P-value 0.000< α 0.05). It was concluded that the contribution of entrepreneurship training and education on unemployment reduction through youth empowerment and wealth creation will be much significant if entrepreneurship is encouraged at all level in the state especially at local and community level. It was recommended among others that Entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs should properly manage their business and create wealth for others through the revenue they generate by rendering financial assistance where necessary.Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Education, Unemployment, Benue, Nigeri

Effect of Mentoring on the Growth of Selected Small Scale Businesses in Makurdi Metropolis, Benue State-Nigeria

Strategies for developing the capabilities of employees are important part of any organization’s overall strategy and source of competitive advantage. This study investigated the effect of mentoring on the growth of selected small scale businesses in Makurdi Metropolis, Benue State. The study specifically examined the effect of career support, psychological support and knowledge transfer on the growth of selected small scale businesses in Makurdi Metropolis. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design and the population of the study was 152 (owners and employees) of small scale businesses within Makurdi Metropolis. A pilot study was carried out to measure validity and reliability of items on the questionnaire. Data collected from respondents through self-administered questionnaire were analysed using Mean, Standard Deviation and Regression Analysis. Formulated hypotheses were tested with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 23) software. The study found that career support has significant effect on the growth of small scale businesses (P.019; β=.349); psychological support has significant effect on the growth of small scale businesses (P.000; β=.734) and knowledge transfer has significant effect on the growth of small scale businesses (P.000; β=.516). It recommended amongst others that government should organize mentorship programmes for entrepreneurs and business men to enable them have knowledge about business mentoring and the importance of transferring knowledge to enhance viability and growth of their businesses

Business Networking and Performance of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Benue State, Nigeria

The impact of business networking on the performance of SMEs in Benue State, Nigeria is investigated in this study. The study focuses on the impact of network governance, network content, and network structure on SMEs in Benue State, Nigeria. The study employs a survey design, with a questionnaire serving as the data gathering tool. The study's population consists of 650 licenced SMEs in Benue State, with a sample size of 242 obtained via stratified sampling. The KMO and Bartlett's tests show that variables are highly significant, and principal component analysis was appropriate at 0.631. The reliability test-retest result revealed a reliability index of (0.702). Regression analysis was used to examine and present the data received from the businesses surveyed. Network governance (42.2 percent), network content (30.2 percent), and network structure (46.2 percent) all have a positive and significant effect on the performance of SMEs in Benue State, Nigeria, according to the results of tested hypotheses. According to the study's findings, business networking in a business environment is concerned with characteristics such as network governance, network content, and network structure, which create the foundation upon which SMEs connect with their surroundings. The research also revealed that business networking has a significant impact on SMEs' performance. SMEs working in any business environment should build up a formation structure that allows them to engage freely within the environment, according to the report