IDENTIFICATION OF STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABILITY OF SMALL SCALE BUSINESSES BY TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS' GRADUATES IN KWARA STATE NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the strategies for sustainable development of small scale businesses by tertiary institutions' graduates in Kwara State Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. Two research questions and two hypotheses guidedthe study. The population of the study comprised all business educators at tertiary institutions which were 52 and 30 registered small scale enterprises, in Ilorin metropolis of Kwara State, making the population of the study 82 in number as at the time of the study A structured questionnaire with 32 items was used to generate data from respondents. The instrument was validated by four business educators and four registered entrepreneurs in Ilorin metropolis of Kwara State. Mean and Standard Deviation wereused to answer data related to research questions, while t-test statistic was used to test the two null hypotheses of the study at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study identified the strategies for sustainable development of small scale enterprises needed by tertiary Institutions' graduates in Kwara state. The study equally revealed the positive impacts accruable from sustainable development of small scale businesses. It was recommended among others that the government and stake holders should create awareness of the identified strategies and positive impacts accruable from sustainable development of small scale businesses, and also ensure that these strategies are impacted to entrepreneurs, particularly the young ones and those that just graduated from tertiary Institutions, through trainings, seminars and workshops, before encouraging them into entrepreneurship, so as to equip them with the necessary strategies needed to sustain their businesses, thereby making them succeed in the world ofbusiness