The emergence of digital transformation has led to a revolutionary change in the business paradigm in the last few years. Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a significant role in the current technological dive by provisioning better data extraction, exploration, and utilisation, resulting in more accurate predictions and performance in the market scenario. Artificial intelligence in the telecommunication sector in Nigeria is just emerging, and the awareness level generally is extremely low. Essentially, investing in artificial intelligence is necessary in the telecommunication sector to solve service delivery, analytics, and customer automation problems. Hence, this study provides a scoping literature review that attempts to explain the role of artificial intelligence technology as a sustainable strategy for improving and transforming customer service in the telecommunication industry. Thus, the study analysis synthesises current literature and found that the level of awareness of artificial intelligence has a huge impact on customer service; the level of application of artificial intelligence is key to customer service promotion, and artificial intelligence-enabled service quality has immensely contributed to customer service in the telecommunication industry. Last of all, artificial intelligence plays a significant role in ensuring quality customer service and satisfaction in the telecommunication industry; it is therefore recommended that telecom providers should invest and intensify the adoption of artificial intelligence technology so as to allow for proactive steps in fixing problems and preventing outages.

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This study explores the effect of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the growth of SMEs in Nigeria: Evidence from Three Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Enugu Metropolis, Enugu, Enugu State. The objectives of this study are to determine the effect of lockdown on distribution value chain of SMEs in Enugu state, Nigeria, and to determine the effect of social distancing on efficient service delivery of SMEs in Enugu state, Nigeria. The study followed a quantitative approach, while data was collected through primary and secondary sources. The population of the study comprises 185 employees randomly selected from Aqua Rapha Investment Ltd., Bridgewater Hotel & Suite, and Chitis Nigeria Ltd. A Sample size of 127 employees was established using the Taro Yamani statistical formula; hypotheses were tested using chi-square at 0.05 level of significance. In the light of the study, it was established that lockdown has a significant negative impact on the distribution value chain of SMEs in the Enugu metropolis, Enugu state, Nigeria. Also, social distancing has a significant negative impact on the efficient service delivery of SMEs in the Enugu metropolis, Enugu state, Nigeria. The study concluded that the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has a significant negative effect on the growth of SMEs in Enugu Metropolis, Enugu State, Nigeria. To mitigate the negativities occasioned by the pandemic, the study recommends that the supply chain should be flexibly structured to accommodate necessary changes, and more technologies should be adopted in business operations to facilitate risk reduction.  Furthermore, it was suggested that future studies should include more firms and sectors to generalise the findings

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The focus of this paper is on company performance and economic policy. The goal of the study is to understand better how lending rates and infrastructure policies affect the performance of small companies in Nigeria's Ikom Cross River State. The objectives of this study are to determine the extent to which interest rate policy has affected the performance of a few selected small enterprises in Nigeria's Ikom Cross River State and to ascertain the extent to which the performance of certain small-scale enterprises in Ikom Cross River State, Nigeria is impacted by infrastructure development policies.  The research design used in the study was a survey. The 158 small enterprises that are currently registered and operating in Ikom make up the target group for this study. The sample size was set at 47 using the statistical technique created by Smith (1984). For the study, primary sources of data were employed. Data was collected through a standardised questionnaire. Utilising content validity, the research tool was validated. Test-re-test The Cronbach Alpha test was used to determine reliability. A chi-square statistical tool was employed to test the research hypotheses. The findings revealed that all the tested hypotheses (interest rate and infrastructure development policies have a strong and favourable correlation with business performance x2= 16.653 and 17.295; p < 0.001, 0.022, respectively. The study concluded that it is imperative to know that the ultimate aim of any business organisation is to maximise profit; such organisations must operate under peaceful and favourable economic policies. The study, therefore, recommended that the Government should ensure that the interest rate charges by banks on loans obtained by small-scale businesses are minimal and provide relevant social amenities such as roads and electricity as that will encourage the free flow of goods and services.

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This study focuses on the effect of succession planning on business continuity of family-owned businesses in Agbor, Delta State. The specific objectives were to: determine the extent of the relationship between mentoring and employees’ productivity; ascertain the effect delegation has on product innovation; and assess the extent to which career development affects growth. The study adopted the survey design. The study population comprised family-owned businesses in Agbor, Delta State. A sample size of three hundred and forty-three (343) was calculated using the Freund and Williams statistical formula. The questionnaire was the primary instrument for data collection. Validity of the instrument was carried out using content validity; and reliability test shows consistency at 0.8 Cronbach’s alpha levels.  Data were analyzed using Correlation Analysis and Regression Analysis at 5% level of significance. Based on the findings, the study showed that there is no significant relationship between mentoring employees’ productivity of family-owned businesses in Agbor, Delta State; delegation has significant effect of innovation of family-owned businesses in Agbor, Delta State; career development has significant effect on organizational growth of family-owned businesses in Agbor, Delta State. The study concluded that effective succession management is critical to ensuring a smooth transition of leadership from one generation to another which could lead to enhanced organizational stability, growth, and innovation. The study recommended that: owners of family-owned businesses should establish a formal succession plan that outlines the process and criteria for identifying and developing potential successors.

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With the rapid advancement of product offerings in the global market, many brands recognise the importance of online brand communities in shaping customers’ purchasing behaviours. As consumers readily express their thoughts on companies, products, and services to fellow Internet users, prospective customers easily access these real-time online reviews. While it may be challenging to quantify brand acceptance levels precisely, evaluating the ratio of positive to negative comments about a brand could provide valuable insights into consumer perceptions of its products, services, and overall identity. Therefore, this study aims to explore the significance of sentiment analysis as a valuable marketing tool for brands in assessing consumer acceptance of their brand. Following a review of relevant literature, findings underscore the critical relevance of understanding consumers' views toward a brand as a critical business concept, emphasising the need to study people's opinions, attitudes, assessments, and emotions represented in written texts to extract new ideas. In the light of this, it is recommended that brands build a team of skilled and technologically adept professionals capable of efficiently analysing and reporting brands’ acceptance levels across all social media platforms.

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This study investigated how career women's work performance relates to bridging and bonding social capital in patriarchal Nigerian society. Additionally, the impact of self-esteem on the connection between social capital and professional achievement was examined. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information from 488 Nigerian career women in managerial positions in both private and public sectors.  Partial least squares structural equation modelling was utilised to test the presented hypotheses. The findings demonstrate a strong positive correlation between bridging social capital and both subjective and objective success. On the other hand, there is no discernible correlation between bonding social capital and either subjective or objective success. This study further reveals that self-esteem only partially mediates the relationship between bridging social capital and job success and that it only has a negligible intervening influence on this relationship. The results point to the necessity for firms to foster a welcoming workplace with a zero-tolerance attitude towards workplace discrimination against women. Because of this, women will be able to connect with co-workers of any gender or rank, build more bridging social capital, and succeed in their careers.

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The paper investigated the effect of the financial sector on entrepreneurial development in Nigeria for the period spanning from 1981 to 2022. The main objective of the study is to ascertain if it is the banking sector and or the non-banking financial sector that drives entrepreneurship in Nigeria. The
secondary source of data is from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on various issues. Descriptive and econometric statistics were employed for analysis. Results indicate that in the short run, the banking sector has a significant negative impact on entrepreneurship, while the non-banking sector has a partly positive and negative impact on entrepreneurship; the banking sector has a significant positive effect in the long run. However, the non-banking sector exhibits partly negative and positive significance in the long run. The variables are co-integrated. This implies the existence of a long-run relationship between the variables. Findings imply that development in entrepreneurship is partly
driven by both the banking and the non-banking sectors of the economy. Recommendations include that monetary authorities should strengthen the operations of the banking and non-banking financial institutions to enable them to shudder with the statutory roles of financing the economy at large and
entrepreneurial development in particular. The government should complement the financing role of entrepreneurship by financial institutions by strengthening the various financing schemes and initiating new ones.

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Entrepreneurship has many multiplier effects on the economy, as it encourages innovation, fosters investment in people, curtails insecurity and promote peace, which serve as a competitive advantage over other natural resources. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of entrepreneurship and women empowerment as a panacea for sustainable development and peace in Borno state, northeast Nigeria. The study used qualitative and quantitative methods. The study population was 400 and a convenience sampling techniques was adopted where 200 questionnaires were distributed as the sample size and 190 were retrieved and analysed with the help of SPSS Version 22. The study revealed that women's unemployment brings a serious setback to the development of any society, as women's empowerment can bring about growth and development in the society. When women work, the economy grows. Evidence has shown in the past that if you entrust women with resources, they will be able to take good and proper management of it, and that has helped to accelerate development and reduce poverty. In conclusion, it was observed that entrepreneurship as an engine for economic growth and development should be given serious priority, especially in Borno State, one of the states in North-East Nigeria that was seriously affected by the activities of insurgency, which has caused serious havoc. This paper, therefore, recommended that government need to establish more skill acquisition centres where women can learn different skills of their choice so that they can be self-reliant and contribute to the economic growth and development of the state and the country.

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In today's manufacturing, operating firms are saddled with the challenges of breakdown of production machines, high cost of maintenance and increasing cost of production. The intense global competition in the manufacturing industry creates an urgent need for manufacturing firms in an emerging market economy to seek continuous process improvement to optimise industrial plant processes, meet customers’ expectations and remain highly competitive. The study examined the machine capacity utilisation of large-scale enterprises in an emerging market economy with evidence from the Nigerian cement manufacturing industry. It focused on the Operational Performance Rate (OPR), Production Volume Flexibility (PVF) and Machine Yield Rate (MYR) indicators of machine capacity utilisation and their influence on Return on Investment (ROI). The study adopted an ex-post facto research design where longitudinal data from 15 15-year period (2008-2022) were analysed with Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). The findings revealed that emphasis should be on top management's commitment and support for proactive and continuous improvement maintenance of production facilities, quality management of production process for industrial-economic efficiency and value addition, as well as provision of enabling environment through government policies that support optimum capacity utilisation in the industrial sector for industrial development and economic growth. 

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The study investigated how financial development in Nigeria was affected by macroeconomic indicators from 1970 to 2021. A robust financial sector will no doubt boost economic growth, whilst the sector is dependent on economic indicators in which such a sector operates. However, it appears that over the years, the macroeconomic indicators have not explained the development of the financial sector. The major objective of the study is to ascertain whether the macroeconomic variables have affected the development of the financial sector within the reviewed period. Data sourced from the Statistical Bulletin of the Central Bank of Nigeria of various issues served as secondary data for analysis. The tools employed in the study include Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) time series data; the Augmented Dickey-Fuller ADF unit root test URT (to ascertain if variables have unit root); the co-integration test was further performed to test for a long-run relationship between the variables. Also, the Pair-Wise Granger causality test was performed. Findings showed that macroeconomic indicators have no effect nor have driven the development of the financial sector. The implication of the finding is that the sector could have been boosted if the required macroeconomic policies had been implemented. The recommendations include the need to review the existing macroeconomic policies to reflect the ideals of development of the financial sector. The indicators should be fine-tuned to engender the operations, performance and ultimate development of the sector.

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