Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Entrepreneurial Orientation 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 entrepreneurial orientation does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Selected Fintech Companies in Nigeria.

Selected Fintech Companies 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 entrepreneurial orientation is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on business growth of informal sector businesses within Selected Fintech Companies 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 growth 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 growth of informal sector businesses in Selected Fintech Companies in Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which entrepreneurial orientation influences business growth of informal sector businesses within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with entrepreneurial orientation in relation to business growth of informal sector businesses.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing entrepreneurial orientation in order to improve business growth of informal sector businesses.

1.4 Research Questions

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

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 business growth of informal sector businesses. For managers and practitioners within Selected Fintech Companies in Nigeria, the study provides practical insight into how entrepreneurial orientation 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

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