Adebayo PO, Awodun MO and Ajonbadi HA
Creating an even economic development at both urban and rural communities has been part of developmental agendas for many decades in Nigeria. These imbalances between rural and urban development have resulted to high rate of unemployment and inability of the rural dwellers to meet their basic needs. Ultimately, this has resulted to high poverty rate among the rural communities. This study attempts to investigate how capacity building and supportive infrastructural network could enhance rural entrepreneurial development, thereby reducing high rate of poverty in Nigeria. A survey of 205 self-administered questionnaires was undertaking across three (3) selected Local Government areas in Kwara state, Nigeria. A total of 148 copies were correctly filled, returned and analyzed using simple percentage, t-test and multiple regression analyses. From the result of findings, it is revealed that various government supports contribute significantly to rural entrepreneurial development in the study area. It is further revealed that certain striking challenges impede rural entrepreneurial development among which are poor infrastructure, low access to finance, low population and poor policy support. Consequently, the study recommends a conscious effort by the government through the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria to provide more entrepreneurial capacity building programmes and other incentives to the rural entrepreneurs. More so, government should focus on integrated rural development programmes through collaboration with international development organizations such as United Nations International Development Organization (UNIDO), United State Agency for International Development (USAID) among others.
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