CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISANS' ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN THE RURAL CONTEXT OF NIGERIA.

Abstract

The study aims at exploring access to recent interventions designed towards intervening
in the entrepreneurial life of rural people to ascertain the level at which rural artisans'
benefitted. A virtual trace approach (VTA) methodology was deployed together with an
empirical investigation using focused group discussions (FGD) as a tool to examine the
impact of such interventions in three rural communities in Niger State, Nigeria. The study
found that there is no impact felt in the rural communities and aside that there has been no
provision for trainings that will make artisans' entrepreneurship mentorship accessible to
rural people which would place the rural communities on the path of development. It was
therefore recommended that a suitable policy arrangement in terms of promoting and
nurturing artisans' entrepreneurial spirit alongside financial support in this regard is
suggested to reduce rural poverty.