Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Mentorship Programs has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with enterprise development of tech startups. This growing interest reflects the recognition that mentorship programs does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria.

Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While mentorship programs is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on enterprise development of tech startups within Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to mentorship programs are helping or hindering enterprise development of tech startups — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Mentorship Programs on enterprise development of tech startups in Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which mentorship programs influences enterprise development of tech startups within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with mentorship programs in relation to enterprise development of tech startups.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing mentorship programs in order to improve enterprise development of tech startups.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of mentorship programs on enterprise development of tech startups in Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria?
2. To what extent does mentorship programs influence enterprise development of tech startups within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with mentorship programs in relation to enterprise development of tech startups?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize mentorship programs in order to improve enterprise development of tech startups?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around enterprise development of tech startups. For managers and practitioners within Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria, the study provides practical insight into how mentorship programs can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on entrepreneurship by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited to an examination of Mentorship Programs and its relationship with enterprise development of tech startups within the context of Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria. It reflects a BSc-level scope of analysis and relies on data and perspectives available within that scope; generalizing the findings beyond this specific context should therefore be done with appropriate caution.