IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION ON YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN KOGI CENTRAL

Abstract

Youth unemployment and poverty remain persistent challenges in Nigeria, particularly within Kogi Central, despite numerous entrepreneurship initiatives aimed at fostering inclusion and sustainable livelihoods. Existing studies have focused more on access to finance and policy support, with limited attention to the behavioural and strategic dimensions of entrepreneurship that drive empowerment outcomes. This study examines the impact of entrepreneurial orientation capturing innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactiveness on youth empowerment and poverty alleviation in Kogi Central. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, data were collected from 312 youths and analyzed through Structural Equation Modelling using Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). Findings reveal that innovativeness (β = 0.218, p < 0.000) and proactiveness (β = 0.456, p = 0.000) significantly enhance youth empowerment, while risk-taking (β = 0.212, p < 0.000) exerts a moderate effect. This revealed that youth empowerment through the light of entrepreneurial orientation can leveled down poverty, with the model explaining 59.8% of the variance (R² = 0.598). The study concludes that strengthening entrepreneurial orientation among youth enhances opportunity utilization, business resilience, and socio-economic inclusion, the study recommends that Government and non-governmental agencies should target their youth empowerment and poverty alleviation project towards innovation-driven ventures through grants, incubation hubs, and technical training to enhance creativity and value addition among youths in Kogi Central, Nigeria.