Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

E-Commerce Adoption 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 e-commerce adoption does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Selected Public Universities in Nigeria.

Selected Public Universities 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

Despite a growing body of literature on e-commerce adoption, there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with business growth of informal sector businesses, particularly within Selected Public Universities in Nigeria. Many organizations continue to make decisions about e-commerce adoption 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 E-Commerce Adoption on business growth of informal sector businesses in Selected Public Universities in Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which e-commerce adoption influences business growth of informal sector businesses within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with e-commerce adoption in relation to business growth of informal sector businesses.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing e-commerce adoption in order to improve business growth of informal sector businesses.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of e-commerce adoption on business growth of informal sector businesses in Selected Public Universities in Nigeria?
2. To what extent does e-commerce adoption influence business growth of informal sector businesses within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with e-commerce adoption in relation to business growth of informal sector businesses?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize e-commerce adoption 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 Public Universities in Nigeria, the study provides practical insight into how e-commerce adoption 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 BSc study confines itself to Selected Public Universities in Nigeria, focusing specifically on how e-commerce adoption 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.