ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS AND BUSINESS GROWTH OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN ABUJA MUNICIPAL AREA COUNCIL (AMAC), FCT ABUJA

This study examined the effect of entrepreneurial skills on the business growth of Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The study was motivated by the persistent challenges faced by SMEs in achieving sustainable growth,
profitability, customer retention and business expansion despite their significant contribution to
employment generation and economic development. Specifically, the study examined the extent to which financial management skills and marketing and customer-management skills influence SME growth in AMAC. A survey research design was adopted, while data were collected from SME owners and managers through a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, mean and standard deviation, were used to answer the research questions, while regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that financial management skills had a high influence on SME growth, with a grand mean of 4.01. The regression analysis showed a positive and significant effect of financial management skills on SME growth (R = 0.684, R² = 0.468, β = 0.684, t = 14.951, p < 0.05). Marketing and customer-management skills also recorded a high level of influence, with a grand mean of 4.12. The study concluded that entrepreneurial skills significantly contribute to SME growth in AMAC. It recommended continuous training in financial management, digital marketing, customer relationship management and other entrepreneurial competencies.

Funding: This research was a self-funded research.

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethics Approval: Not_applicable

Data Availability: Data will be made available upon reasonable request.

AI-Assisted Writing: No AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.