Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Digital Skills Acquisition has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with business sustainability of informal sector businesses. This growing interest reflects the recognition that digital skills acquisition does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Delta State.

Delta State 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 digital skills acquisition is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on business sustainability of informal sector businesses within Delta State 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 digital skills acquisition are helping or hindering business sustainability of informal sector businesses — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Digital Skills Acquisition on business sustainability of informal sector businesses in Delta State.
2. To assess the extent to which digital skills acquisition influences business sustainability of informal sector businesses within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with digital skills acquisition in relation to business sustainability of informal sector businesses.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing digital skills acquisition in order to improve business sustainability of informal sector businesses.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of digital skills acquisition on business sustainability of informal sector businesses in Delta State?
2. To what extent does digital skills acquisition influence business sustainability of informal sector businesses within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with digital skills acquisition in relation to business sustainability of informal sector businesses?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize digital skills acquisition in order to improve business sustainability 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 sustainability of informal sector businesses. For managers and practitioners within Delta State, the study provides practical insight into how digital skills acquisition 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 study confines itself to Delta State, focusing specifically on how digital skills acquisition relates to business sustainability of informal sector businesses within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.