Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

In recent years, Mentorship Programs has emerged as a critical factor shaping job creation of youth entrepreneurs across organizations operating in and around Selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria. As institutions grapple with the pressures of globalization, regulatory reform, and shifting stakeholder expectations, understanding how mentorship programs relates to job creation of youth entrepreneurs has become an important area of both scholarly and practical concern.

Selected Deposit Money 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 job creation of youth entrepreneurs within Selected Deposit Money 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 job creation of youth entrepreneurs — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Mentorship Programs on job creation of youth entrepreneurs in Selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which mentorship programs influences job creation of youth entrepreneurs within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with mentorship programs in relation to job creation of youth entrepreneurs.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing mentorship programs in order to improve job creation of youth entrepreneurs.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of mentorship programs on job creation of youth entrepreneurs in Selected Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria?
2. To what extent does mentorship programs influence job creation of youth entrepreneurs within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with mentorship programs in relation to job creation of youth entrepreneurs?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize mentorship programs in order to improve job creation of youth entrepreneurs?

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 job creation of youth entrepreneurs. For managers and practitioners within Selected Deposit Money 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 job creation of youth entrepreneurs within the context of Selected Deposit Money 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.