Application of Chi-Square Test to Study Association Between Education Level and Entrepreneurship in Rivers State

Entrepreneurship development is central to economic diversification in Rivers State, South South Nigeria, where oil sector volatility has increased the urgency of supporting non-oil enterprise. This study applies the chi-square test of association to examine the relationship between educational attainment and entrepreneurship participation among adults of working age in Rivers State. A cross-sectional survey enrolled 320 respondents from Port Harcourt, Obio-Akpor, and Oyigbo local government areas through multistage sampling. Respondents provided information on highest educational qualification, whether they operate a business, type of business, and sector of operation. Educational level was categorised into four groups: no formal education, primary, secondary, and tertiary. Entrepreneurship status was coded as binary. Cross-tabulations were constructed and Pearson chi-square statistics computed. A statistically significant association was found between educational level and entrepreneurship participation (chi-square = 31.4, df = 3, p < 0.001). Individuals with tertiary education were most likely to own formal registered businesses (62 percent), while those with no formal education predominantly operated informal micro-enterprises (91 percent). Cramér's V indicated a moderate association strength (V = 0.31). Sector distribution also differed significantly by education level. The study recommends that Rivers State enterprise support programmes be differentiated by educational attainment, with vocational training integrated into entrepreneurship interventions for low-education groups. Keywords: chi-square test, entrepreneurship, education level, Rivers State, association analysis