INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT, POLICY ENVIRONMENT, AND ENTREPRENEURIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SDGS IN MONGUNO, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigates the intersections of institutional support, the policy environment, and entrepreneurial contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Monguno Local Government Area (LGA), Borno State, Nigeria—a conflict-affected, displacement-hosting secondary urban centre in the Lake Chad Basin. The research is located at the nexus of two analytical domains: the developmental role of entrepreneurship in post-conflict and fragile settings, and the structural conditions—institutional capacity, regulatory quality, and policy coherence—that enable or constrain entrepreneurial activity. Embedded within a thematic focus on human security, social cohesion, and internal displacement, the study examines how entrepreneurial ecosystems function under conditions of protracted displacement and how institutional frameworks can be restructured to amplify the contributions of entrepreneurship to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). Methodologically, the study employs a mixed-methods design combining structured enterprise surveys (n = 380), key informant interviews (n = 26), focus group discussions (n = 10), and institutional document analysis across five purposively selected wards in Monguno town. The study is anchored in Institutional Theory, Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Theory, and the Human Security Framework. Findings reveal that entrepreneurial activity in Monguno is characterised by high informality, vulnerability to security shocks, and systematic exclusion of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from formal support mechanisms. Institutional support is fragmented, poorly coordinated, and biased toward registered, host-community-owned enterprises. Policy incoherence between humanitarian, developmental, and economic governance frameworks further undermines entrepreneurial potential. The paper argues that realising the SDG contributions of entrepreneurship in Monguno requires a paradigm shift toward inclusive, conflict-sensitive, and displacement-aware enterprise development policy, supported by strengthened local institutions and coherent multi-level governance.