DETERMINANTS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN ADAMAWA STATE

This study addresses the promotion of entrepreneurship development in Nigeria (with specific emphasis on Adamawa State). Hence, the entrepreneur’s capacity development, business environment/ infrastructure, source of start-up (seed) capital, and skills development formed the core indices that were used to measure entrepreneurship development. The content analysis approach was adopted to analyse the data collected using simple descriptive statistical tools. Based on a review of the literature and analysis of the prevailing internal and external conditions in Adamawa state, this paper identifies the factors that promote entrepreneurship in Nigeria and proposes a set of specific interventions that the Adamawa State government may initiate to stimulate entrepreneurship in the state. The proposed policy interventions include creating a more business friendly climate, building entrepreneurial and institutional capacity, minimising bureaucratic barriers, elevating the stature of entrepreneurship, and facilitating the creation of interstate, national and global linkages and networks for entrepreneurs. Implementing the proposals advanced in this paper, as adapted to the specific conditions in the state and the country at large, could have significant implications for new business creation, employment development and economic growth in Nigeria. It could also provide a basis for future empirical studies that assess the relative effectiveness of specific policy interventions in promoting entrepreneurship in Nigeria and other developing nations of Africa.