Employment Generation and Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria: The Role of Social Entrepreneurship

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship has been acknowledged by scholars as a veritable tool to accelerate the decline in unemployment and poverty. However, the contribution of social entrepreneurship to sustainable economic development in Nigeria has not been felt. This study, therefore, sought to examine the influence of social entrepreneurship on employment generation and poverty alleviation in Nigeria with specific reference to Nigeria Association of Social Workers, Federal Capital Tertiary (FCT) Abuja Chapter. A descriptive survey was employed for the study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 150 members of the Nigeria Association of Social Workers, Federal Capital Tertiary (FCT) Abuja Chapter. Data were sourced through a structured closed- ended questionnaire designed by the researcher for the study with the aid of personal interview. Data were analysed with the aid of mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation, and Linear regression. The results revealed that social entrepreneurship measured by social problem solving, social value, social responsibility and human teamwork has a significant relationship with employment generation and poverty alleviation. The study, therefore, concluded that social entrepreneurship is a driving force of social and environmental goals that have an impact on sustainable economic development. Subsequently, the study recommended that government at all levels, private organizations and non- government organizations should embrace the concept of social entrepreneurship and address the issues such as insecurity, acute unemployment, and abject poverty ravaging our society. More also, the concept of social entrepreneurship should be included as a separate branch of management courses in all tertiary institutions of learning.