Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

In recent years, Business Plan Competitions has emerged as a critical factor shaping business growth of youth entrepreneurs across organizations operating in and around Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria. As institutions grapple with the pressures of globalization, regulatory reform, and shifting stakeholder expectations, understanding how business plan competitions relates to business growth of youth entrepreneurs has become an important area of both scholarly and practical concern.

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 business plan competitions on business growth of youth entrepreneurs, making a context-specific inquiry both timely and necessary.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite a growing body of literature on business plan competitions, there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with business growth of youth entrepreneurs, particularly within Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria. Many organizations continue to make decisions about business plan competitions without a clear, evidence-based understanding of how those decisions ultimately affect business growth of youth entrepreneurs. 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 Business Plan Competitions on business growth of youth entrepreneurs in Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which business plan competitions influences business growth of youth entrepreneurs within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with business plan competitions in relation to business growth of youth entrepreneurs.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing business plan competitions in order to improve business growth of youth entrepreneurs.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of business plan competitions on business growth of youth entrepreneurs in Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria?
2. To what extent does business plan competitions influence business growth of youth entrepreneurs within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with business plan competitions in relation to business growth of youth entrepreneurs?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize business plan competitions in order to improve business growth of youth entrepreneurs?

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 business plan competitions translates into measurable outcomes around business growth of youth entrepreneurs. It is equally useful to students and future researchers looking for a localized empirical reference on this relationship.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this BSc study confines itself to Selected Commercial Banks in Nigeria, focusing specifically on how business plan competitions relates to business growth of youth entrepreneurs within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.