Entrepreneurial Skills and Sustainable Food Business Practices Among Small and Medium-Sized Food Enterprises in Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between entrepreneurial skills and sustainable food business practices among Small and Medium-sized food Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. The study specifically investigated the relationships between opportunity recognition skills, innovation skills, and sustainable food business practices. A correlational research design was adopted. The population consisted of 9,502 small and medium-sized food enterprises across Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers States in Nigeria’s South-South geopolitical zone. A sample of 384 enterprises was determined using the Taro Yamane formula and selected through a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected using a researcher-developed Entrepreneurial Skills and Sustainable Food Business Practices Questionnaire (ES-SFBPQ), structured on a four-point rating scale. The instrument was validated by three experts, while its reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha. Data were analysed using means, standard deviations and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The findings revealed that opportunity recognition skills had a positive and significant relationship with sustainable food business practices (r = 0.556, p <0.001). Similarly, innovation skills had a positive and significant relationship with sustainable food business practices (r = 0.642, p <0.001). The study concluded that entrepreneurial skills, particularly the ability to recognise opportunities and develop innovative solutions, play an important role in promoting sustainable practices among food SMEs. It was recommended that food SME owners should continually strengthen their opportunity recognition and innovation skills, while government agencies and entrepreneurship development institutions should provide practical training, technical support and incentives to promote sustainable innovation and efficient resource utilisation in the food business sector.

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Skills; Opportunity Recognition Skills; Innovation Skills; Sustainable Food Business Practices; Food Enterprises and Entrepreneurship

Citation

Chinyere OM, Kulo VA, Akpo AC. Entrepreneurial Skills and Sustainable Food Business Practices Among Small and Medium-Sized Food Enterprises in Nigeria. WebLog J Nutr Food Sci. wjnfs.2026.i2804. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23299607