Establishing, Growing, and Maintaining Small Businesses in Nigeria

Small businesses are important to the growth of the Nigerian economy by employing more than 80% of the country’s workforce. Despite the importance of small businesses to the Nigerian economy, there is a continuing decline in their establishment, growth, and maintenance. The phenomenological study revealed the interpretations of entrepreneurs of the central phenomenon of establishing, growing, and maintaining small businesses in Nigeria. Using Moustakas’s (1996) modified van Kaam method, data were collected through interviews with 25 business leaders from Jigawa State – Nigeria. Five leaders of small businesses from each of the following five sectors were interviewed: agricultural, construction, manufacturing, wholesale, and retail, and transportation. The participants selected were from the five emirates of Jigawa State. The study revealed entrepreneurship activities, including planning and identification of opportunities, appropriate leadership style, establishing and implementation of innovative and creative organizational culture, and constant and continuous learning organizations as major strategies for establishing, growing, and maintaining small businesses in Nigeria. The study might help small businesses sustain operations in Nigeria which will result in creating jobsto grow the country’s economy