Assessment of Entrepreneurship Traits Among Agribusiness Operators in Oyo State

Entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector is increasingly recognised as a driver of farm commercialisation, value chain development, and rural employment generation in Nigeria. In Oyo State, in the South West geopolitical zone, a growing number of young and established farm operators are positioning their enterprises as agribusinesses requiring entrepreneurial skills beyond traditional farming. This study assesses entrepreneurship traits and their influence on enterprise performance among agribusiness operators in Oyo State. A sample of 120 agribusiness operators including farm input dealers, crop processors, and large-scale crop producers was selected through purposive sampling from four local government areas and Ibadan. A validated entrepreneurship trait scale measuring innovativeness, risk-taking propensity, autonomy, competitive aggressiveness, and proactiveness was administered alongside enterprise performance data. Correlation and regression analyses were used. Results show that risk-taking propensity and innovativeness were the traits most positively associated with enterprise revenue growth. Operators who had received any form of business management training scored significantly higher on the trait composite index. Gender differences in trait expression were marginal, suggesting that both male and female agribusiness operators display comparable entrepreneurial dispositions when given equivalent business development support. The study recommends embedding entrepreneurship training into existing agricultural support programmes in Oyo State and creating incubation spaces for agribusiness startups targeting agricultural value chain opportunities. Keywords: entrepreneurship, agribusiness, enterprise performance, Oyo State, farm management