Social Capital and Entrepreneurial Success of Business Education Graduates in Nigerian SMEs in the North West Zone

This study examined the relationship between social capital and entrepreneurial success among Business Education graduates operating small and medium enterprises in the North West geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Social capital, encompassing trust, social networks, and norms of reciprocity, is increasingly recognized as a strategic resource that enables entrepreneurs to access information, build partnerships, and mobilize support. For Business Education graduates in the North West, where community and kinship networks play a significant role in business life, social capital may be a particularly important determinant of enterprise success. Grounded in the Social Capital Theory and the Resource-Based View, a cross-sectional survey design was adopted. The population comprised 420 Business Education graduate SME operators in Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, and Jigawa States. A stratified sample of 210 operators was selected. The Social Capital Measurement Scale and the Entrepreneurial Success Index, both adapted and validated for the Nigerian North West context, were used for data collection. Structural Equation Modeling was employed for hypothesis testing. Findings reveal that bridging social capital has a stronger positive effect on market expansion and revenue growth than bonding social capital, which primarily supports initial business establishment. Membership in business associations mediates the relationship between social capital and entrepreneurial success. The study contributes a North West-specific social capital-entrepreneurship model and recommends that Business Education graduate support programmes should prioritize business association membership facilitation. Keywords: social capital, entrepreneurial success, business education graduates, North West Nigeria, SMEs