EFFECT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP ON POVERTY REDUCTION IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of entrepreneurship on poverty reduction in Niger State, Nigeria. The paper assesses the influence of three basic features of entrepreneurs, which are risk taking, innovation and managerial skills and how these features have impacted on poverty reduction in the study area. Data for the study were collected through questionnaire administered to owners of small- scale business that cut across six local government areas of Niger state. 479 responses were received from the respondents and the responses were analysed using the structural equation model( SEM/AMOS). Result of the analyses show that there exist a statistically significant between entrepreneurship and poverty reduction and R square of 77%. The result also revealed that all the three components of entrepreneurship ( risk taking, innovation, managerial skills) are statistically significant to poverty reduction in the study area. The findings of this paper have practical for policy makers in the study area as well as Nigeria as a whole. The study therefore, make recommendations that would improve entrepreneurship and how it will reduce poverty in the study area.