INSTITUTIONAL AND COMMUNITY FACTORS INFLUENCING ACTORS’ INVOLVEMENT IN ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES ALONG OIL PALM FRUIT VALUE CHAIN IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines the institutional and community factors influencing actors’ involvement in entrepreneurial activities along oil palm fruit value chain in Osun State, Nigeria. A validated interview schedule was used to collect quantitative data, which were then summarised using percentages, means, and correlation analysis. The results show that the family type (mean = 2.66), from which the oil palm fruit entrepreneurs came, exerted the strongest influence on respondents’ involvement in oil palm fruit entrepreneurial activities.  The market has the highest (74.6%) productive resources that were available in the different communities of the actors, which is favourable to oil palm fruit entrepreneurial activities. The cultural statement that ranked highest among respondents was the opinion that their community values a thrifty spending and saving culture (mean=3.08). This study revealed that at P ≤ 0.01, a positive and significant relationship existed between family variable (r=2.57), religion variable (r=0.335), community cultural variable (r=0.188), and community attitudinal variable (r=0.168) and actors’ socio-economic status. This study concludes that the influence of institutions and communities on entrepreneurial involvement is generally strong, with the family, socio-cultural factors, and other informal sources of institutions being the main drivers.