Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Government Entrepreneurship Policy has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes). This growing interest reflects the recognition that government entrepreneurship policy 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 government entrepreneurship policy is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) 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 government entrepreneurship policy are helping or hindering business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Government Entrepreneurship Policy on business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) in Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which government entrepreneurship policy influences business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with government entrepreneurship policy in relation to business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes).
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing government entrepreneurship policy in order to improve business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes).

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of government entrepreneurship policy on business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) in Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria?
2. To what extent does government entrepreneurship policy influence business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with government entrepreneurship policy in relation to business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes)?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize government entrepreneurship policy in order to improve business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes)?

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 government entrepreneurship policy translates into measurable outcomes around business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes). It is equally useful to students and future researchers looking for a localized empirical reference on this relationship.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited to an examination of Government Entrepreneurship Policy and its relationship with business survival rate of small and medium enterprises (smes) within the context of Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria. It reflects a MSc-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.