Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Mentorship Programs has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with job creation of youth entrepreneurs. This growing interest reflects the recognition that mentorship programs does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Selected Public Universities in Nigeria.

Within the context of Selected Public Universities 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 mentorship programs on job creation of youth entrepreneurs, making a context-specific inquiry both timely and necessary.

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 Public Universities 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 Public Universities 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 Public Universities 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 Public Universities 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

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Selected Public Universities in Nigeria, focusing specifically on how mentorship programs relates to job creation of youth entrepreneurs within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.