Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

In recent years, Entrepreneurial Orientation has emerged as a critical factor shaping business sustainability of informal sector businesses across organizations operating in and around Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria. As institutions grapple with the pressures of globalization, regulatory reform, and shifting stakeholder expectations, understanding how entrepreneurial orientation relates to business sustainability of informal sector businesses has become an important area of both scholarly and practical concern.

Within the context of Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria, this relationship carries particular significance. Organizations in this setting operate under a distinct combination of economic, regulatory, and market conditions that may amplify or dampen the effect of entrepreneurial orientation on business sustainability of informal sector businesses, making a context-specific inquiry both timely and necessary.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While entrepreneurial orientation is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on business sustainability of informal sector businesses 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 entrepreneurial orientation are helping or hindering business sustainability of informal sector businesses — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Entrepreneurial Orientation on business sustainability of informal sector businesses in Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which entrepreneurial orientation influences business sustainability of informal sector businesses within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with entrepreneurial orientation in relation to business sustainability of informal sector businesses.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing entrepreneurial orientation in order to improve business sustainability of informal sector businesses.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of entrepreneurial orientation on business sustainability of informal sector businesses in Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria?
2. To what extent does entrepreneurial orientation influence business sustainability of informal sector businesses within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with entrepreneurial orientation in relation to business sustainability of informal sector businesses?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize entrepreneurial orientation in order to improve business sustainability of informal sector businesses?

1.5 Significance of the Study

Beyond its academic contribution to the field of entrepreneurship, this study has practical value for management teams within Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria seeking to understand how entrepreneurial orientation translates into measurable outcomes around business sustainability of informal sector businesses. It is equally useful to students and future researchers looking for a localized empirical reference on this relationship.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this MSc study confines itself to Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria, focusing specifically on how entrepreneurial orientation relates to business sustainability of informal sector businesses within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.