IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION, ORIENTATION AND SOCIALSUPPORT ON THE PERFORMANCE OF WOMEN- OWNED BUSINESSES INKANO AND KADUNA STATES

Abstract

This study examined the impact of entrepreneurship education and orientation on the
performance of women - owned businesses in Kano and Kaduna states, with social support
employed as a moderating variable. A synthesis of human capital and resource-based
theories is used as theoretical framework for the study. The computed total sample size for
the study was 498 but was rounded up to 500 to ensure adequacy, ease of administration, and
avoid potential under-sampling. Therefore, Quantitative data were collected through
structured questionnaires administered to 500 women entrepreneurs selected via stratified
random sampling. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation
model (PLS-SEM). The result revealed that entrepreneurship education significantly and
positively influences business performance with (β=0.43, p=≤0.05) which indicates that
women entrepreneurs who acquired more training and knowledge are likely to achieve better
performance. On the other hand, entrepreneurship orientation does not significantly predict
business performance with (β = 0.12, p >0.05). Furthermore, social support was found to
significantly moderate the relationship between entrepreneurship education and business
performance, enhancing its effect. However, the moderating effect of social support on
entrepreneurship orientation was weak despite being statistically significant, with (β =0.12, p
< 0.05). This implies that EO alone was not significant, but when women entrepreneurs
receive adequate support, their proactiveness and innovativeness have a stronger impact on
performance. The qualitative findings reinforced the important of educational exposure,
proactive, behavior, and peer networks in enhancing business outcomes. This study offers
practical implications for policy and program design, emphasizing the need for targeted
training, supportive ecosystems, and gender- sensitive financing mechanisms to improve the
performance of women-led enterprises in northern Nigeria. The study recommends that
policy makers and stakeholders should prioritize expanding access to entrepreneurship
education, particularly in rural and underserved areas, where women often face significant
barriers. Furthermore, formal integration of social support structure-such as peer network,
women’s association, and community mentorship –development initiatives and continuous
training and re-training were recommended among others.