Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

In recent years, Diaspora Remittance-Funded Ventures has emerged as a critical factor shaping business growth of youth entrepreneurs across organizations operating in and around Benue State. As institutions grapple with the pressures of globalization, regulatory reform, and shifting stakeholder expectations, understanding how diaspora remittance-funded ventures relates to business growth of youth entrepreneurs has become an important area of both scholarly and practical concern.

Benue 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 diaspora remittance-funded ventures is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on business growth of youth entrepreneurs within Benue 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 diaspora remittance-funded ventures are helping or hindering business growth of youth entrepreneurs — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Diaspora Remittance-Funded Ventures on business growth of youth entrepreneurs in Benue State.
2. To assess the extent to which diaspora remittance-funded ventures influences business growth of youth entrepreneurs within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with diaspora remittance-funded ventures in relation to business growth of youth entrepreneurs.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing diaspora remittance-funded ventures in order to improve business growth of youth entrepreneurs.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of diaspora remittance-funded ventures on business growth of youth entrepreneurs in Benue State?
2. To what extent does diaspora remittance-funded ventures influence business growth of youth entrepreneurs within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with diaspora remittance-funded ventures in relation to business growth of youth entrepreneurs?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize diaspora remittance-funded ventures in order to improve business growth 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 business growth of youth entrepreneurs. For managers and practitioners within Benue State, the study provides practical insight into how diaspora remittance-funded ventures 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 Benue State, focusing specifically on how diaspora remittance-funded ventures 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.