Training and Entrepreneurial Qualities of Rural Women for Sustainable Development in Abia State, Nigeria

The study was carried out in Abia state to determine the influence of various forms of business training on the entrepreneurship qualities of rural women. Three research questions were raised to guide the study. Survey methodology was adopted, as a set of structured questionnaires was used to elicit responses from a sample size of three hundred and sixty (360) respondents. Multi- stage random sampling technique was used to select the respondents for the study. Face validity technique was applied in ascertaining the validity of the instruments. Thus, the questionnaires were handed over to two academics in the Department of Home Science/Hospitality Management and Tourism, Michael Okpara, University of Agriculture, Umudike. These intellectuals ensured that the questions were consistent with the topic of the paper. To ascertain the reliability of the questionnaire, a pilot study was carried out around the university community, where a total of twenty five (25) respondents were drafted for the purpose, to determine whether the responses would be in line with the results expected from the research work. The instrument was employed twice, and the data collected were compared to see if they met the expected reliability rate. After the administration of the instruments, an interval of two weeks was given for the re-administration of the instruments. The data obtained from the two tests were then subjected to the main reliability test using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient Statistical Procedure. Furthermore, results from the study were analyzed with simple descriptive statistical tools of frequency counts, percentages and means. Multiple regression was used to determine the influence of various training activities on the development of entrepreneurial qualities among the rural women in the state. Results show that majority of the female entrepreneurs in Abia State had received training on business development skills, moral support and community relation, customer recognition/rewards and training as well as on basic accounting principles and customer management/ relationship. Result of the Multiple regression estimate shows that all the predictor variables tested at 5% level of significance were entrepreneurship qualities. As trainings on product quality management had a strong and negative influence with the development of entrepreneurship qualities, others had positive relationship with it. Based on the result of the study, it was recommended that since entrepreneurship training improves entrepreneurship qualities, government should mobilize resources for mass training of rural dwellers to enable them to explore the innate entrepreneurship potentials and put them to appropriate use.