Abstract
Across countries, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are recognised as engines of economic growth and employment creation. In Nigeria, SMEs significantly contribute to job creation, poverty alleviation, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) is a key government agency responsible for monitoring and coordinating SME development. Different programmes were initiated to promote and facilitate SME growth in Nigeria. Despite these efforts, SMEs still face challenges such as insecurity, limited access to financing, a multiple-tax system, and an unstable power supply, thereby affecting their performance. This study examines the effectiveness of SMEDAN’s support services on SME performance in Nigeria using mixed-methods sequential exploratory design.In the first phase of data collection, qualitative interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. Themes developed from interviews informed the development of instruments for the quantitative phase and the formulation of hypotheses, which were later tested using quantitative data. The surveys were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Both findings were then integrated throughout the report to increase the validity and reliability of the results. The qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 SME owners/managers and 8 SMEDAN officers to identify the support required by and provided for SMEs. As well as the barriers affecting SME performance in Nigeria.
The interviews were conducted through telephone and in-person approaches, while structured questionnaires were sent to 400 SME owners/managers with a response rate of 336. The quantitative data were used to assess the effectiveness of SMEDAN’s support services on SME performance in Nigeria and to validate the results from the qualitative findings. The survey instrument was tested using the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient in SPSS, which indicated good internal consistency reliability. The regression analysis revealed that business clinics, training, and advisory services were positively effective while linking SMEs to access finance was partially effective. This research contributes to the existing body of SME development studies by integrating the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Institutional Theory to explain how government intervention influences SME performance in a developing country.
| Date of Award | 24 Jun 2026 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
|
| Supervisor | Yongsheng Guo (Supervisor) & Xiaoxian Zhu (Supervisor) |