Green Entrepreneurship and Employment Generation in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State

Abstract

This study investigated Green Entrepreneurship and Employment Generation in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. The aim and objectives of the study is to examine the impact Green Entrepreneurship and Employment Generation in Ikwerre Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State. Based on the study specific objectives, three research questions were raised and one hypothesis was formulated. The study adopted the survey research design; a sample size 200 respondents were drawn from the target population of 316 green entrepreneurs using the systematic sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was a self-constructed structured questionnaire which had been validated and subjected to Cronbach alpha reliability indexes of .859 and .782. The data collection was done after administration and retrieval of questionnaires with the help of trained research assistants. Out of the 200 questionnaires administered, 164 questionnaires were retrieved and used for analysis. The analysis of data was done using descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of IBM Statistical Package for Social Science version 26.0. The results indicated that most of the identified green entrepreneurship ventures exist in Ikwerre LGA, are Waste recycling, organic farming, renewable energy businesses and eco-friendly packaging products; also indicates that green entrepreneurship significantly contributes to employment generation in Ikwerre LGA. The study concluded that green entrepreneurship ventures are present and there is a significant relationship between green entrepreneurship and employment generation in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, particularly in waste recycling, organic farming, renewable energy and eco-friendly packaging; and it significantly contributes to employment generation in the area. It was recommended that government and private investors should encourage investment in eco-friendly transport systems such as electric bikes and fuel-efficient vehicles through incentives and awareness campaigns; the government and NGOs should provide targeted training, soft loans and startup support to further increase youth and women employment in green enterprises and should also organize regular workshops and skill acquisition programmes to improve technical knowledge in renewable energy, waste management and sustainable agriculture .