This paper aims to examine the technology gap efficiency of small-scale rice processors in Anambra State, Nigeria. The research was conducted through a survey of 100 small-scale rice processors in Anambra State. Data were collected with structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive, stochastic frontier analysis, stochastic meta-frontier model, and inferential statistical techniques. The study revealed that important variables to rice processing present in the state are paddy, firewood, water, and huller. Concerning the economic-specific factors, the cost of grading and other processing assets contributes to inefficiency. The results equally showed that the technology gap efficiency of small-scale rice processors in the industry is tied to or tangential to the frontier output, meaning that the processors in Anambra State are making use of the best technology available. The average efficiency index for the processors in the industry was 0.506, implying that their output is below potential by 49.4%. The results also revealed the technology gap efficiency for the participating and non-participating processors as 0.924 and 0.983, respectively, meaning that the participants need to close an 8.0% gap, and the non-participants need to close a 2.0% gap. These gaps are caused by the high cost of processing equipment, high cost of input, and inadequate infrastructure, among others contributing factors. The paper concluded that the average meta-technical efficiency (0.498) of small-scale rice processors in Anambra State is low and needs to be improved through the provision of adequate technology, training, and infrastructure to bring the current industrial production capacity to 100.0%.
The study used structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques to examine the mediation analysis of entrepreneurship development on the economic growth of women entrepreneurs in Nigeria. The study assumes the existence of three null hypotheses; entrepreneurship development does not mediate business performance, psychological, and knowledge of business practice indicators for economic growth. Data were collected from 500 randomly selected women entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Our results suggest that separating household and business income, maintaining a separate business account, stock-keeping, record-keeping among other were the knowledge of business practice indicators; openness to change, desire for self-independent among others were the psychological indicators, and reduced inactivity, increase in the size of the inventory among others were the business performance indicators that stimulate entrepreneurship development. The aforementioned catalyzed higher formalization, increases in capital investment among others as entrepreneurship development indices, which stimulate economic growth of contribution to personal and children school fare, reduction in financial dependence, and increase in affordable health care fee among others. We also established that entrepreneurship development mediates knowledge of business practice to economic growth.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.