Victims Support Fund Intervention And Women Entrepreneurship Development: The Mediating Role Of Self-Efficacy In North Eastern States, Nigeria

Abstract

ABSTRACT The study examined Victims Support Fund Intervention and Women Entrepreneurship Development: The Mediating Role of Self-efficacy in North-eastern States, Nigeria. The study used a structured questionnaire to collect data and a total of four hundred and eighty (480) copies of questionnaires administered to the internal displaced women entrepreneurs who benefited from Victims Support Fund Intervention (women economic empowerment project) in Gujba and Potiskum LGAs of Yobe state, Magumeri and Hawul LGAs of Borno State and Minchika and Gombi LGAs of Adamawa State, four hundred and thirtyseven (437) were returned. The study recorded a response rate of ninety one percent (91%) and the study used quantitative and inferential methods of analysis. Data from the survey were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 31.0 and the Multiple regression analysis was used to determine whether the relationship between Victims Support Fund Intervention and Women Entrepreneurship Development is Mediated by Self-efficacy in North-eastern States, Nigeria or not, when (P ≤ 0.05) level of significant. The findings reveal that Victims Support Fund Intervention (Women Economic Empowerment) training, access to finance have significant influence on Women Entrepreneurship Development in North eastern States while Women entrepreneurs Self-Efficacy has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between Victims Support Fund Intervention and Women Entrepreneurship Development in North-eastern States. Based on the findings it is recommended that government should provide programmes, strategies and policies to support the sustainability of women economic empowerment through Victims Support Fund Intervention. Women entrepreneurs should be encouraged to participate through relevant skill development programmes that are designed to meet their needs. Educational Institutions offering entrepreneurship and other programmes that empower women should be encouraged to expand the scope of the programs to meet the need of various categories of women particularly internally displaced in rural locations, urban cities, nursing mothers, market women, illiterate women and semi literate women.