Entrepreneurship Development and Employment Generation of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Nigeria

This research investigates the influence of entrepreneurship development on employment generation in selected small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Ogun State, Nigeria. The paper also emphasizes the essential entrepreneurial skills required for establishing SMEs. The study employed a survey research design, where a sample of 80 entrepreneurs was randomly selected, and data was collected through a questionnaire. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and regression analysis to test the hypotheses at a significance level of 5%. The findings indicate a positive correlation between entrepreneurship development and employment generation in SMEs, highlighting the crucial role of entrepreneurship development in creating jobs in this sector. Additionally, the results demonstrate that changes in employment generation in SMEs can be attributed to entrepreneurship development. Consequently, entrepreneurship development forms the foundation for promoting employment generation in small and medium scale enterprises. Recognizing the significant role of entrepreneurship development in job creation, the paper recommends focusing policy efforts on establishing supportive facilities for entrepreneurs and enhancing their employment generation capabilities through skills development, upgrading, and certification.