ROLES OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS IN PROMOTION OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This research highlighted on Roles of Social Entrepreneurs in promoting rural development in Nigerian with the aim of establishing the linkages between social entrepreneurs and rural development, role of Social Entrepreneurs towards enabling new businesses in the community thereby reducing societal and economic problems in the community. Social Entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. They are persistent and ambitious, tackle major issues and offer new ideas for a wide scale change. The methodology adapted Secondary sources of data such as Review of the Literatures on related studies, Internet, Focus Group Discussion and Visitation to some communities. Findings showed that rural entrepreneurship can help increase output, create employment and reduce rural urban migration among other things. The paper recommends that Social entrepreneurs should be sustained in the society, concerned authorities should Support Match Trading grants to help propel new funding model to achieve greater impact. Government should remove barriers to obtaining finances; since inaccessibility to finance is the biggest barricade for social enterprises. This will certainly ensure empowerment to create change and help people realize they can lead change in their community, regardless of their background.

Keywords: Social Entrepreneurs, Social Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Rural Development.