Evaluation of Entrepreneurship Development Programmes and Small Business Growth in Kogi State

Entrepreneurship development programmes are central to small business growth policy in Nigeria, and evaluating their effectiveness in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria, provides important evidence for programme design and resource allocation. This study evaluated the impact of three major entrepreneurship development programmes (the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria, the N-Power Business Programme, and the Kogi State Empowerment Initiative) on small business growth in Lokoja, Okene, and Idah Local Government Areas. A comparative survey design was adopted, with 240 small business owners who participated in at least one programme compared against 60 non-participant business owners matched by sector and business age. Business growth was measured by revenue growth, employment generation, and business formalisation status over a 3-year period. Independent samples t-tests and logistic regression were employed. Results showed that programme participants recorded significantly higher mean revenue growth (38.4% vs. 19.7% for non-participants, t = 5.62, p < 0.001). Employment generation was 2.1 additional jobs per firm for participants versus 0.7 for non-participants. Business formalisation was significantly higher among participants (OR = 3.4, p < 0.01). Among programmes, the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria showed the strongest growth impact. However, 43% of participants reported losing business momentum within 18 months due to lack of post-programme follow-up support. The study recommends structured mentoring and market access support as mandatory post-training components in all Kogi State entrepreneurship programmes. Keywords: entrepreneurship development, small business growth, Kogi State, YEWiN, business formalisation