Socio-Economic Influences on the Ease of Doing Business in the Niger Delta: Evidence from Small Business Owners and Managers

Abstract

Doing business with ease depends on many factors. For Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region, the ease of starting and running a small scale business depends on so many factors. This paper leverages the experiences of 103 small business owners and managers to examine the socio-economic factors influencing the ease of doing business in the Niger Delta region. Data collection was via the structure questionnaire administered via Google form. Data analysis involved simple percentage, mean and ranking. The findings reveal that lack of power supply; getting credit and starting a business are the major hindrance to the ease of doing business in the region. The study recommends setting up effective policies and programs in the areas of attracting investment to the energy sector. The government should enlighten the masses about National Collatery Registry and its importance to business owners. There is also the need to embark on reforms targeted at restructuring the various indicators in the region to ensure the ease of doing business.