Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Risk Tolerance Among Traders in the Wuse Market, Abuja

This study investigates the entrepreneurial behaviour and risk tolerance attitudes of traders in the Wuse Market, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, examining how different levels of risk tolerance influence business decision-making, investment behaviour, and market expansion strategies in one of Nigeria's most economically diverse urban markets. The Wuse Market hosts thousands of enterprises ranging from food and commodity stalls to electronics, fashion, and professional services outlets, providing a rich cross-sectional study population. The study employs a descriptive correlational design, administering a risk tolerance scale and an entrepreneurial decision-making questionnaire to 200 traders selected through systematic sampling across the market's major sections. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation and descriptive statistics. Findings indicate significant variability in risk tolerance across trader demographics, with younger male traders showing higher risk tolerance scores than older and female traders. Higher risk tolerance is significantly associated with greater propensity to invest in business expansion, introduce new product lines, and seek external financing, but also with higher incidence of working capital depletion from unsuccessful ventures. Formal education is a significant positive moderator of the risk tolerance-to-performance relationship, suggesting that education enables more calibrated risk assessment. Traders who participate in formal or informal business peer networks show better risk calibration regardless of age and gender. Recommendations include trader network development and basic financial risk management workshops through Wuse Market's traders' association. Keywords: risk tolerance, entrepreneurial behaviour, market traders, Wuse Market, Abuja.