Influence of Graduate Enterpreneurship Funds on Youth Economic Inclusion
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The broad objective of the study is to evaluate the influence of GEF on youth economic inclusion in Awka South LGA of Anambra State.
Specifically the study aim to:
- Evaluate the services (financial & non-financial) rendered to the youths who are beneficiaries of GEF p
- rogram
- Determine the effect of GEF program on graduate level of income after their participation in the GEF program
- Examine the efforts of GEF program in facilitating small scale enterprise among graduates
- Identify challenges that limits graduates participation in the program.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
THE CONCEPT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Entrepreneurship is the purposeful activity (including an integrated sequence of decisions) of an individual or group of associated individuals, under-taken to initiate, maintain, or aggrandize a profit-oriented business unit for the production or distribution of economic goods and services (Nwachukwu, 1990). Entrepreneurship at least in all non-authoritarian societies constitute a bridge between society as a whole, especially the non-economic aspect of that society, and the profit oriented institutions established to take off its economic development and to satisfy, as best they can, its economic desires. Schumpeter (1994) defines entrepreneurship as the ability to perceive and undertake business opportunities, taking advantage of scarce resource utilisation. In simplest form, entrepreneurship is the willingness and the ability to seek out investment opportunities and to run an enterprise for profit. In this later sense, entrepreneurship takes premium over capital. It is equally more fundamental than capital because capital formation is the result of entrepreneurial activity. Entrepreneurs are therefore regarded as central figures in economic development. Their contributions run through labour actions, movement of capital goods and conversion of raw materials into finished products, and ultimately, effectual distribution of the products to final consumers. Entrepreneurs are therefore those who search and discover economic opportunities, marshal the financial and other resources necessary for the development of the opportunities, evaluate alternatives available in the environment and allocate resources to the most profitable ones and as well take the ultimate responsibility for the management and/or successful execution of opportunities. An Entrepreneur is somewhat comfortable with taking and assuming risks which are impassioned with the dream being pursued. He or she knows where to get help, and when it is needed, and as well as being ever ready to receive changes in the business surrounding environment (Schumpeter, 1994). Consequently, universities should commence training high level manpower whose characteristics are usually obsessive, focused, articulate, and resourceful. In this way graduates will turn out typically charismatic leaders, and tend to be introspective in the skills of job creation, wealth generation and innovative skill utilization.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to influence of graduate entrepreneurship funds on youth economic inclusion
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on influence of graduate entrepreneurship funds on youth economic inclusion. 200 staff of selected SMEs in Anambra State was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected from the respondents were analyzed in tabular form with simple percentage for easy understanding.
A total of 133(one hundred and thirty three) questionnaires were distributed and 133 questionnaires were returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain influence of graduate entrepreneurship funds on youth economic inclusion
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of graduate entrepreneurship funds on youth economic inclusion
Summary
This study was on influence of graduate entrepreneurship funds on youth economic inclusion. Four objectives were raised which included: Evaluate the services (financial & non-financial) rendered to the youths who are beneficiaries of GEF program, Determine the effect of GEF program on graduate level of income after their participation in the GEF program, Examine the efforts of GEF program in facilitating small scale enterprise among graduates and Identify challenges that limits graduates participation in the program. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staff of selected SMEs in Awka , Anambra state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up managers, secretaries, sales reps and content developer were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
It could be concluded that entrepreneurial capacity building, infrastructure development and financial intervention schemes significantly impacted on developing and sustaining youth entrepreneurial consciousness in Nigeria. This implies that the more government engages in private enterprise development strategies the higher their stance at reducing unemployment and poverty. The findings also leads to the conclusion that there exists a significant relationship between financial intervention schemes such as grants (private and government) and loans (soft and special) and entrepreneurial consciousness among the youth. This means, the higher or easier access to finance the higher the probability new business creation among the youth.
Recommendation
The federal government should provide separate financial intervention for basic infrastructural development in Nigeria through a special collaboration with international financing organization such as World Bank, African Development Bank, International Finance Corporation among as this will promote entrepreneurial activities and ease the operations of SMEs. Furthermore it is recommended that government should through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Bank of Industry (BoI) provide accessible soft loans and to young entrepreneurs through affordable and reliable windows as this will offset poor access to finance for business startup among the youth.
References
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- Chukwuemeka, C, Nzewi, A. Okigbo (2008), „Public Policy and Entrepreneurship in Nigeria: Addressing Immediate Pathological Problems‟. A Paper Presented at An International Conference on Entrepreneurship Organized by Chike Okoli Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.
- Eme, O. I. (2014) Unemployment Rate in Nigeria: Agenda for Government, Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy Vol. 3 No 4
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