Social Entrepreneurship Contribution to Community Development among Youth in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study determined the contribution of social entrepreneurship to community development among youth in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey research design. The study was conducted in Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria. The target population comprised registered youth in the Ministry of Youth and Social Development of Lagos State. The population of registered youth in the four Local Government Areas (Amuwo-Odofin, Apapa, Badagry, and Oshodi-Isolo) was 5,173, which formed the population of the study. The sample size for the study was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) formula for sample size determination. A total of 358 respondents were selected as the sample size for the study. The study used a non-probability convenience and snowball sampling procedure. The questionnaire link was circulated electronically through WhatsApp and email to eligible respondents, who were also encouraged to share it with other persons relevant to the study. Participation was voluntary. A structured questionnaire titled “Social Entrepreneurship and Community Development among Youth in Lagos State” was used for data collection. The questionnaire was subjected to face and content validation by three experts in management and the social sciences. The internal consistency of the multi-item instrument was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. A reliability coefficient of 0.84 was obtained, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. The completed questionnaires were coded and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 25. Frequencies and percentages were used to summarise respondents’ demographic characteristics. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions relating to the Likert-type items. Pearson’s product–moment correlation and simple linear regression were used to test the hypotheses, as applicable, at the 0.05 level of significance. The overall result, with an average mean score of 3.38 and a standard deviation of 0.56, indicates a high level of agreement among respondents that social entrepreneurship significantly enhances community development. This suggests that social entrepreneurial activities are widely perceived as effective mechanisms for improving social and economic conditions within communities. respondents’ perceptions of the relationship that exists between social entrepreneurship and youth empowerment, leadership, and innovation, as reflected by mean scores and standard deviations and perceptions of the relationship that exists between social entrepreneurship and youth empowerment, leadership, and innovation, as reflected by mean scores and standard deviations. The results indicate a generally high level of relationship, with an overall mean score of 3.45 and a standard deviation of 0.55. This suggests that respondents strongly perceive social entrepreneurship as a significant mechanism for empowering young people and enhancing their leadership and innovative capacities within the community. The study concludes that youth increasingly perceive social entrepreneurs as viable instruments, agents of hope, and channels of opportunity. Through their activities, several young people are exposed to novel ideas, equipped with relevant skills, connected to quality networks, and empowered to become active contributors to community development. The study therefore recommended that the Nigerian government should rise to its responsibility of ensuring that the basic needs of citizens are adequately provided, youths should be given purposeful platforms to participate in governance at the local, state, national, and global levels, and communities should be receptive to the activities of social entrepreneurs whose initiatives are directed toward community development. .