DIGITAL RESOURCES AND WOMEN-OWNED ENTERPRISE PERFORMANCEIN NIGERIA: DIGITAL LITERACY AS A MEDIATOR AND ENTREPRENEURIALSUPPORT AS A MODERATOR

Authors

  • M. Abdulmumin Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Author
  • D. Y. M. Olowu Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Author
  • S. Umar Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Author
  • A. Yusuf Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Author

Keywords:

Digital financial services, Digital literacy, Digital platform adoption, Entrepreneurial  mindset, Entrepreneurial support systems

Abstract

Women-owned enterprises increasingly encounter digital platforms and financial
technologies, yet access to these resources does not automatically translate into improved
performance. Existing research commonly examines platform adoption, entrepreneurial
mindset, digital financial access, literacy and support systems separately, leaving the
conversion mechanism and relevant boundary conditions insufficiently integrated. This
conceptual paper develops a framework explaining how digital platform adoption,
entrepreneurial mindset and access to digital financial services influence women-owned
enterprise performance in Nigeria. An integrative literature synthesis was undertaken using
peer-reviewed studies and authoritative institutional reports located through structured
searches of Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and relevant development-agency
repositories. The synthesis is organized through the Resource-Based View and Social Capital
Theory. The framework proposes direct effects of digital platform adoption, entrepreneurial
mindset and digital financial access on enterprise performance; positions digital literacy as
the capability through which platform adoption and entrepreneurial mindset are converted
into productive use; and treats entrepreneurial support systems as a boundary condition that
may complement capabilities when support is relevant and enabling, but substitute for them
when it is overly directive. Seven propositions are developed. The paper contributes by
distinguishing resource access from capability deployment and by replacing the assumption
that support is universally beneficial with a contingent complementarity argument. It
recommends differentiated digital training, affordable and gender-responsive financial
products, cybersecurity awareness, market-linked mentorship and evaluation of support
quality. Future research should test the framework using time-lagged, multi-source designs
among women-owned enterprises across rural and urban Nigeria.

Published

2026-06-26

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1(B) (2026)

Section

Articles