DISSECTING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DYNAMICS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL INTERVENTIONS IN THE SOUTH-SOUTH, NIGERIA

There are paucity of empirical works to gauge the linkage between Nigerian entrepreneurial practice and socio-economic well-being of people in the Niger- Delta region of Nigeria. The Niger-delta, an oil-rich region of the country, and accounts for the nation's largest share of the national income and foreign reserve, is in the southsouth geo-political zone of the country. Over the years however, the people have not fully felt government impasse in terms of social and capital infrastructures, gainful employment, and a safe haven for robust businesses and investments. Past efforts by stakeholders to revamp the infrastructural epidemic in the areas have been met with utmost derision. In effect, feelings of discontentment, homicide, crime wave, moral decadence, juvenile delinquencies, poverty, disruption of oil operations by hoodlums, hostage taking, forced relocation, and intimidations, have now become acceptable norms and ways of life among people in the region. Concerted efforts by the succeeding regimes to enhance the living conditions of the citizens through direct employment have left millions of others unemployed just as many have become impoverished. Hinging squarely on Wennekers and Thurik theoretical underpinnings, and using multiple regression models to analyze the relationship among the intervening variables, the study has found significant positive relationship between entrepreneurial enhancing programmes of business creations, wealth creations, education and training; and socio-economic living of people through job creations, employment generation, poverty reduction, and women/youth capacity building. The study recommended inclusive and expanded framework for developing human capital potentials in the region through systematic investment in entrepreneurial upgrading ventures to bring succor to the people in the oil-rich region of Nigeria. The study also provides an impetus to relevant government agencies and concerned stakeholders in developing effective entrepreneurial curriculum and programme that will equip youths and make them more self-reliant and less dependent on government and other private stakeholders