Impact of Entrepreneurial Opportunity, Entrepreneurial Necessity and Demographic Factors on Entrepreneurial Participation: Towards Peace Restoration in Northeast Nigeria

Abstract

The role of entrepreneurship in creating social value beyond profit motive has been widely explored, and its potential for peace restoration in post-conflict settings has gained increasing attention in recent years. This study examines the impact of entrepreneurial opportunity and participation on peace restoration in Northeast Nigeria. The study utilizes primary data collected from 3,768 respondents across nine major markets in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states, with 3,526 valid responses used for analysis, representing 93.6% response rate. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was applied for the analysis. The findings revealed that entrepreneurship has a positive and statistically significant effect on peace restoration, although the magnitude of direct effect is relatively weak. The results further show that entrepreneurial necessity, entrepreneurial opportunity, and demographic characteristics significantly influence entrepreneurial participation, with demographic factors exerting the highest direct effect (0.734). The study recommends integrated interventions that combine entrepreneurship development, peacebuilding, psychosocial support, anti-indoctrination strategies, and institutional strengthening to achieve sustainable recovery and stability in the region.