ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION AND LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITIES OF RURAL YOUTH IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the entrepreneurial orientation and livelihood activities of rural youth in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, with specific objectives to: assess their livelihood activities, determine their level of entrepreneurial orientation, and analyze the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and livelihood activities. Data were collected from 185 respondents, chosen through a multi-stage sampling procedure. The collated data were analyzed with the aid of descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation. Findings revealed the main livelihood activities as predominantly small scale businesses and crop farming, with an average proportion (48.6%) recording moderate engagement levels. In terms of entrepreneurial orientation, most rural youth showed moderate levels (51.4%), with proactiveness and autonomy (x ̄ =2.7 each) recording above the critical value of 2.5, while risk-taking and competitive aggressiveness (x ̄ =2.4) were below the critical value. Pearson correlation showed a significant and positive relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and livelihood activities (r = 0.621, p < 0.01), indicating that higher entrepreneurial orientation corresponds with greater livelihood engagement. The study concluded that although rural youth in Akwa Ibom State were moderately involved in diverse livelihood activities and possessed moderate entrepreneurial orientation, there remains a need to strengthen these areas to improve their livelihood outcomes. Based on the findings, it was recommended that targeted entrepreneurial development programmes that would focus on risk-taking and competitive strategies should be implemented, as this would serve to enhance the engagement of rural youth in sustainable livelihood ventures.