SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN BORNO STATE: A THEMATIC APPROACH
Ashemi Baba Ali and Ibrahim Mohammed Lawal
Volume 5 Issue 1
Abstract
The existence of poverty has a long history, but its prevalence across sub-Saharan countries, particularly in Nigeria and specifically in Borno State, has been a source of concern for both governmental and non-governmental agencies. This phenomenon was further exacerbated by the emergence of insurgency, which has severely affected all aspects of the state. As a result, it has attracted various policies, initiatives, and programs internationally particularly the Sustainable Development Goals and locally, among which entrepreneurship was a central focus for reducing poverty to a minimal level. However, only marginal success was recorded because the traditional approach to entrepreneurship primarily focuses on profit, which is purely economic, giving little or no consideration to the social components essential for reducing poverty. This underscores the need for social entrepreneurship. Consequently, employing thematic analysis indicates that social entrepreneurship facilitates social inclusion, increases income, boosts economic welfare, ensures access to capital, education, healthcare, and other essential services, and supports sustainable agriculture and community development, among other benefits. However, challenges such as institutional, financial, social and cultural, environmental, security, and human capital issues persist. Despite these challenges, the study concluded that social entrepreneurship has a significant positive impact on addressing the prevalence of poverty in the state. Recommendations include capacity building, improved security, policy reforms, and infrastructural development Keywords: Social Entrepreneurship, Poverty; Borno state, Insurgency
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