ENTREPRENEURSHIP COLLABORATION AND BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF SMEs IN SOUTH-WEST NIGERIA

Abstract

Entrepreneurship collaboration has become essential for enhancing business sustainability among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, SMEs in South-West Nigeria face challenges such as limited resources, market competition, and regulatory constraints, hindering their sustainability efforts. Collaboration helps SMEs overcome these obstacles by pooling resources, sharing knowledge, and leveraging synergies, thus enhancing long-term viability. Despite its importance, there is limited empirical research on the impact of entrepreneurship collaboration on SME sustainability in this region. This study addresses this gap by investigating the effect of entrepreneurship collaboration on business sustainability among SMEs in South-West Nigeria. Using a descriptive research design, data were collected from 384 SME operators registered with SMEDAN and analyzed through regression analysis. The results showed that entrepreneurship collaboration accounts for 65.1% (R² = 0.651) of the variation in business sustainability. Dimensions of collaboration, such as networks (β = 0.309), resource sharing (β = 0.145), collaboration intensity (β = 0.104), and knowledge exchange (β = 0.948), had significant positive effects on SME sustainability. The study concludes that entrepreneurship collaboration significantly influences SME sustainability and recommends fostering a conducive environment through supportive policies, networking opportunities, and capacity-building initiatives. These findings have practical implications for policymakers, business support organizations, and SME practitioners in South-West Nigeria and beyond.