Factors Militating the Growth of Small Scale Business and Employment Creation in Awka Metropolis Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined factors militating the growth of small scale business and employment creation in Awka Metropolis. Three specific objectives, research questions and hypotheses were formulated with the decomposed variables of the study. The study was anchored on Active Learning Theory. This study adopted survey research design. The study population was five hundred and fifty six (556) workers while the sample size was two hundred and thirty three (233) arrived at using Taro Yamane formula. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaire from the sample of workers at Awka Metropolis. The simple random sampling technique was used for the study. Chi- Square was applied for hypotheses testing. The study found that poor financing, inadequate social infrastructures, lack of managerial skill constitute major challenges for small scale businesses to creation jobs. Therefore, the study revealed that there is a significant relationship between small scale business and employment creation. The study concluded that small scale businesses are essential agents of economic growth and national development. The study recommended among others that government need to put in place new policy guidelines aimed at making the acquisition of funds easier for the entrepreneurs of small scale businesses and also entrepreneurs should aim at giving some basic skills training to the unskilled and semiskilled people engaged to work for them so that they can contribute more positively to the growth of the enterprise.