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

The study aims at exploring access to recent interventions designed towards interveningin 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 anempirical investigation using focused group discussions (FGD) as a tool to examine theimpact of such interventions in three rural communities in Niger State, Nigeria. The studyfound that there is no impact felt in the rural communities and aside that there has been noprovision for trainings that will make artisans' entrepreneurship mentorship accessible torural people which would place the rural communities on the path of development. It wastherefore recommended that a suitable policy arrangement in terms of promoting andnurturing artisans' entrepreneurial spirit alongside financial support in this regard issuggested to reduce rural poverty.