Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Mentorship Programs has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with business growth of informal sector businesses. 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.

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 mentorship programs on business growth of informal sector businesses, making a context-specific inquiry both timely and necessary.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite a growing body of literature on mentorship programs, there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with business growth of informal sector businesses, particularly within Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria. Many organizations continue to make decisions about mentorship programs without a clear, evidence-based understanding of how those decisions ultimately affect business growth of informal sector businesses. This gap between practice and empirical understanding is the central problem this study seeks to address.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

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

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of mentorship programs on business growth of informal sector businesses in Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria?
2. To what extent does mentorship programs influence business growth of informal sector businesses within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with mentorship programs in relation to business growth of informal sector businesses?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize mentorship programs in order to improve business growth 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 mentorship programs translates into measurable outcomes around business growth 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

The study is limited to an examination of Mentorship Programs and its relationship with business growth of informal sector businesses 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.