SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS SHAPING BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT AMONG WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the socio-economic factors shaping business establishmentamong women entrepreneurs in selected communities in Abia State, Nigeria. Guided by threeobjectives, the study assessed the effects of access to finance, education, and social support onentrepreneurial success. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and data were collectedfrom 349 women entrepreneurs across selected local government areas of Abia State using astructured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while MultivariateAnalysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level ofsignificance. The findings revealed that access to finance, education, and social support each had astatistically significant influence on the success of women entrepreneurs. Women with betterfinancial access, higher educational attainment, and stronger family and community supportdemonstrated improved business establishment and sustainability outcomes. The study concludedthat socio-economic factors play a critical role in shaping women’s entrepreneurial success in AbiaState. It was recommended that policymakers and financial institutions implement flexiblefinancing options, expand skill development initiatives, and strengthen community-based supportsystems to enhance women’s entrepreneurship. This study contributes to existing research onwomen entrepreneurship in Nigeria by providing empirical evidence from subnationalcommunities, highlighting context-specific drivers of women-led business success.