Evaluating the Relationship between Mentoring and Entrepreneurship Development in South East, Nigeria

The study evaluated the relationship between mentoring and entrepreneurship development in the South East Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the nature of relationship between career support and productivity of entrepreneurs in the South East Nigeria; examine the degree of relationship between psycho-social support and professional growth of entrepreneurs in the South East Nigeria; and ascertain the extent of relationship between knowledge transfer and skill acquisition of entrepreneurs in the South East Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design. The study was carried out in South East Nigeria. The population was three thousand, eight hundred and fifty-five (3,855) SMEs as provided by Small and Medium Enterprises Agency of Nigeria and NBS report (2019). Freund and Williams Statistical formula was used in determining the sample size of 373. The analysis of the data was based on simple description of the relevant statistical information. This included the construction and analysis of frequency distribution table of the type and number of responses which were converted into percentages. The findings showed that career support had, to a great extent, positive and significant relationship with productivity of entrepreneurs in South East Nigeria, that there existed, to a large degree, a positive and significant relationship between psychosocial support and professional growth of entrepreneurs in South East Nigeria, and that knowledge transfer had, to a great extent, positive and significant relationship with skill acquisition of entrepreneurs in South East Nigeria. It was concluded that mentoring, to a great extent, had positive and significant relationship with entrepreneurship development in the South East Nigeria. The study therefore recommended among others that mentoring should be based upon encouragement, frank advise, readiness to assist the mentee to acquire needed knowledge, skills and competencies so as to operate functionally in the dynamic business environment.