SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMEs) IN NIGERIA: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS

ABSTRACT

This study, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria: Problems
and Prospects, was undertaken to find out if the SME sub-sector in Nigeria has
performed its critical role of driving the country’s industrial transformation and
development as it has done in other developed countries; and if not, why, and
also to identify remedial measures.
The study thus investigated the performance of the Small and Medium
Enterprises sub-sector of the Nigerian economy, its problems and prospects
and recommended measures to make the sub-sector virile and vibrant in order
to play the crucial role it is expected to play.

TABLE OF CONTENTS  Title page           I Declaration           III Approval          IV Dedication          V Acknowledgement          VI Abstract           VII Table of contents          X List of tables          XII List of figures         XIV List of appendices         XV

CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION  A. STATEMENT OF GENERAL PROBLEM    1 B. BACKGROUND TO THE SUBJECT MATTER   13 C. CHARACTERISTICS OF SMEs IN NIGERIA    16 D. CHALLENGES OF THE SMEs      17 E. THE OBJECTIVES AND RATIONALE FOR THE RESEARCH 19 F. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY      22 G. DEFINITION OF TERMS       23

CHAPTER TWO – LITERATURE REVIEW  A. INTRODUCTION        26 B. ROLE OF SME SUB-SECTOR IN THE ECONOMY   30 C. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SME SUB-SECTOR IN THE  NIGERIAN ECONOMY       32 D. PROBLEMS OF SMEs IN NIGERIA     34 E. PROSPECTS OF SMEs IN NIGERIA     37 F. A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN INDIA’S SMALL  SCALE INDUSTRIES (SSIs) AND NIGERIA’S SMEs  45 G. RESEARCH QUESTIONS       51

CHAPTER THREE - METHODOLOGY  A. RESEARCH METHODS AND APPROACHES USED  55 B. JUSTIFICATION OF THE METHODS     59 C. INSTRUMENTS/TOOLS USED      61 D. RESEARCH POPULATION AND SAMPLE SIZE   63 E. SAMPLING PROCEDURES EMPLOYED    64 F. JUSTIFICATION FOR SAMPLE SELECTION PROCEDURE/  SAMPLE SIZE AND FOR USING THE SAMPLE SELECTED 66 G. STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESES     67 H. STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES USED IN THE ANALYSIS  69

CHAPTER FOUR – PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA 70

CHAPTER FIVE – DISCUSSION OF THE RESULTS  A. INTRODUCTION 85 B. WHY SMEs IN NIGERIA HAVE PERFORMED BELOW STANDARD         87 C. PROOF OF HYPOTHESES      94 

CHAPTER SIX – SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS      100 B. CONCLUSIONS        103 C. RECOMMENDATIONS       105 References          114 Appendix I          117 Appendix II          120