ABSTRACT

The main objective of this study was to show the effect of economic empowerment on the entrepreneurship growth in Abia State. The specific objectives of the study were to: analyze the effect of empowerment in skills on entrepreneurial competency of the agro-based entrepreneurs in Abia State; ascertain the effect of empowerment in capital/finance on entrepreneurial capacity of the agro-based entrepreneurs; determine the effect of technological empowerment on entrepreneurial capability of the agro-based entrepreneurs; and to analyze the effect of academic empowerment on entrepreneurial capacity of the agro-based entrepreneurs. The study adopted a survey research method. The population of this study was made up of the management staff of the selected firms in Aba metropolis and was 931. The Taro Yahmane formula for sample size determination was used to select a sample size of 280 respondents for the study. The data collected for the study were analyzed based on the stated objectives of the study using statistical data entry form designed in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Findings revealed that skills empowerment was found to exert significant effect on entrepreneurial competency of the agro-based entrepreneurs in Abia State. This implies that the higher entrepreneurs are empowered with skills, the higher their entrepreneurial competency in Abia State.  Also, financial empowerment was found to exert significant effect on entrepreneurial capacity of the agro-based entrepreneurs in Abia State. This indicates that the higher the application of financial empowerment, the higher the entrepreneurial capacity of the agro-based entrepreneurs in Abia State. It was also revealed in the study that technological empowerment was found in the study to exert significant and positive effect on entrepreneurial capability of the agro-based entrepreneurs in Abia State. The study recommended that government’s empowerment programmes should be restructured, or re-designed, and should be centred on the “participatory approach”. This approach emphasizes the importance of involving the beneficiaries in all stages of the programme. There should be greater investment on the human capital investment of youths. This implies that improvement in education, health and nutrition, employment opportunities, shelter and social services, directly address the most important problem of poverty and reduces crime among the youth.