Journal of Innovations

Vol. 4, Issue 5

Government Support and Performance of Woman-Owned Enterprises in Lagos State, Nigeria

AUTHOR(S)

Okonkwo Rosemary Nkiru, Orisamuyiwa Dickson, and Ogunjemilua Emmanuel Makanjuola

ABSTRACT

Women-owned enterprises play an important role in Nigeria's socioeconomic development, yet many continue to face challenges such as limited access to finance, weak policy implementation, and other structural barriers. This study examines how government interventions influence the performance of women-owned businesses in Lagos State. Using a descriptive research design, data were collected through structured questionnaires from 321 randomly selected women entrepreneurs and analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression. The findings show that respondents were highly aware of major government initiatives supporting women entrepreneurs, including the Renewed Hope Initiative, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, TraderMoni and MarketMoni Loan Schemes, Guaranteed Loans for Women, Women in Self-Employment Programme, and the Nigeria for Women Project. The results further demonstrate that both government programs (β = 0.696, p < 0.05) and government policies (β = 0.611, p < 0.05) significantly improve business performance. Access to credit, business training, supportive regulations, and policy incentives emerged as important drivers of business capacity, sustainability, and growth. By providing empirical evidence on the relative influence of government programs and policies, this study highlights the importance of effective implementation, greater program awareness, and gender-responsive policy design. The findings offer practical insights for policymakers, development agencies, and advocacy groups seeking to strengthen women's entrepreneurship. As Nigeria's leading commercial hub and home to a large concentration of small and medium enterprises, Lagos State provides a valuable setting for understanding how government support can help women-owned businesses grow, with lessons that may also inform similar efforts in other regions.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.62470/3e269779

CITE THIS ARTICLE 

Nkiru, O. R. Dickson, O.  and Makanjuola, O. E. (2026). Government Support and Performance of Woman-Owned Enterprises in Lagos State, Nigeria. Journal of Innovations, 4(5), 42-67. https://doi.org/10.62470/3e269779