Various governments all over the world have acknowledged that entrepreneurship and the formation of micro, small and medium enterprises is the key to economic growth, employment generation and poverty alleviation. However, for entrepreneurship to play this role effectively and efficiently, it must be a vital and an integral component of productivity and growth. Most SMEs in Nigeria experience abysmally low performance, and some even fold up within five years of start-up despite governmental efforts in encouraging entrepreneurial development in the country, This work on the importance of marketing in entrepreneurial development and poverty alleviation in Nigeria aims at identifying the sources and causes of problems in the orientation and practice of entrepreneurship and marketing in SMEs. The paper is a conceptual study and as such relied more on the review of the views of different scholars and researchers in marketing, entrepreneurship and SMEs in Nigeria and elsewhere. The study revealed that most SMES in Nigeria needed more exposure to the principles and practice of marketing and entrepreneurship so as to contribute maximally to economic development, employment and poverty alleviation in the country in spite of the ever-increasing competition both locally and internationally. To achieve this, the study recommended, among others, that the entrepreneurial and marketing skills of budding entrepreneurs and chief executive and directors of SMEs. Should be enhanced through education and training. This can be achieved through either formal regular education for those who can afford it, or by some part-time arrangements with professional marketers, and university lecturers as consultants.
Achumba, I.C. (2000), Strategic Marketing Management in the 21st Century, Charlotte, USA: MacMilliams and Capital Publishers Inc.
Adeniran, T. (2009), "The ravaging disease of poverty" The Nations Newspapers, February, 15.
Adeniyi, A. O. (2007), "An investigation of marketing practices of selected entrepreneurs", Journal of National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, Vol. 1 No. 1, PP. 145-156.
Adepelumi, P. (2007), "Women Entrepreneurship as a tool for economic development in Nigeria", Retrieved on 15th July, 2010 from http://african- advocacvqrp.org.
Agbonifoh, B.A. (2006), Marketing in Small Businesses, in Inegbenebor, A. (2006), The fundamentals of Entrepreneurship, Lagos: Malthhouse Press Ltd.
Agbonifoh, B.A., Oseyomon, P. and Asein, E. I. (2007), "Small business enterprises and marketing functions", Journal of National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, Vol. 1 No.1, pp. 131 - 144.
Alex-duru, E. (2008), "Poverty in the midst of plenty", Independent Newspapers, April, 12.
Barreto, H.V. (2006), "U.S.A. small business administration", Weekly Business Review, 4-10 September, pp. 32 - 34, 36.
Coulter, M. (2006), Entrepreneurship in Action 2nd edition, New Delhi: Prentice- Hall of India Private Limited.
Cunnigham, J.B. and Lischeron, J. (1991), "Defining entrepreneurship", Journal of Small Business Management, Vol. 29 January, pp. 46 - 59.
Ejeze, V.N. and Onwuchekwa, C. (1998), A study of strategic marketing activities in entrepreneurship organizations, in Esomonu, N.P.M. ed. Essentials of Entrepreneurship Education in Technology, Science and Art, Research and Publication Unit Anambra State.
Fasua, K. (2007), Entrepreneurship: Theories, Strategies and Practices, Jos: Larigraphic Printers.
Inderscience Publishers (2007), Call for papers: The Interface between marketing and entrepreneurship, Retrieved on 20th July, 2010 from http://inderscience.blogspot.com
Inyang, B.J. and Enuoh, R.O. (2009) "Entrepreneurial competencies: the missing links to successful entrepreneurship in Nigeria, International Business Research, Vol. 2 No. 2, pp. 62-71.
Kohli, A. and Jaworski, B. (1990), "Marketing orientation: the construct, research propositions and management implications", Journal of Marketing, Vol. 54 No. , pp. 1 - 18.
Kotler, P. (1992), Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning and Control, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.
Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (1999), Marketing Management, New Jersey: Printice Hall Inc.
' The Importance of Marketing in Entrepreneurial Development and Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria 155
Ndubisi, G. (2004), Evaluation of Small and Medium Scale Business Projects, in Onah, J.O., Nwosu, I. and Ocheoha, O. eds. Empowering Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, Enugu: CIDJAP Printing Press.
Obi, D, (2009), "How business schools neglect SMEs", Business Day, February 11.
Onah, J.O. and Allison, P.U. (2007) "Marketing and entrepreneurship development", Journal of National Marketing Institute of Nigeria, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 122-130.
Oworen, M. (1980), "The marketing function", Journal of Management in Nigeria, August.
Ram, K.V. (1971), Small Industries in the Seventies, Delhi: Viken Publications.
Ude, J.C. (2006), "Influence of marketing on the performance of small-scale industries", Master Degree Thesis, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
UNDP (2007), Human Development Report 2007 - 2008, Washington D.C.: United Nations.
World Bank (1996), Nigeria, Poverty in the Midst of Plenty: The Challenge of Growth with Inclusion, Washington D.C.: World Bank.
In-Text Citation: (Oparah, Aghara, Ndubuisi, & Chidozie, 2018)
To Cite this Article: Oparah, P. C., Aghara, G. C., Ndubuisi, V. N. O. A., & Chidozie, E. (2018). The Importance of Marketing in Entrepreneurial Development and Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(10), 524–538.
Copyright: © 2018 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
