Government enterprise and empowerment program (GEEP) and women’s performance in entrepreneurship development in Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This study examined the impact of the government enterprise and empowerment program (GEEP) on women’s performance in entrepreneurship development in Nigeria. Results from the use of difference-in-difference (DiD) quasi-experimental design indicate that GEEP intervention has significant impacts on enterprise turnover, reduction in per unit cost of production, and increase in profitability and return on investment (ROI). The results also show unequal access to resources and opportunities available in GEEP, between rural and urban residents. The findings suggest that, if the rural women had equal access to the resources and opportunities available to their urban counterparts in GEEP, they would participate in traditional industries and build livelihoods in rural economies. This implies that embracing increased GEEP interventions with rural dwellers will enhance women’s entrepreneurship development, raise women’s economic status, and deter aggression in Nigeria.

KEYWORDS:

• Women’s entrepreneurship development
• government enterprise and empowerment program (GEEP)
• rural and urban residents
• sub-Saharan Africa

Acknowledgement

The authors are indebted to the editorial team for constructive comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elda Nduka Okolo-Obasi

Mr. Elda Nduka Okolo-Obasi holds B.Sc (Agricultural Economics) from Federal University of Technology Owerri, and M.Sc (Development Studies) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Enugu Campuses. He is a doctoral student and research fellow in the Institute for Development Studies, University of Nigeria. He is also a research fellow in the Development Strategy Centre (Aprivate Think Tank based in) Enugu, Nigeria. His current research interests include economic and social impact evaluation of policies and projects of the public and private sectors in developing countries.

Joseph Ikechukwu Uduji

Professor Joseph Ikechukwu Uduji holds Ph.D (Marketing), Ph.D (Public Administration), M.Sc (Marketing), M.Sc (Public Relations), MBA (Business Administration) and MPA (Public Administration) and is currently the Head, Department of Marketing, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Whilst he lectures business and development courses in the University of Nigeria, he is also a Visiting Professor to the Catholic University of Cameroon, Bamenda. His current research interests include social justice, social responsibility and inequality nexus in developing countries.