CHARACTERISTICS AND CHALLENGES OF SMALL-SCALE INDUSTRIES IN JOS NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Small-scale industries serve as pivot to socio economic development especially in areas of employment and income generation, self-reliance and reduced dependency. This study focused on the characteristics and challenges of small- scale industries in Jos North Area of Plateau State. It analyzed the nature of ownership, sources of finance, nature of contributions to socio-economic development and challenges faced by small scale industries in the study area. The quota sampling was used to delineate the study area into four industrial zones while the random sampling approach was used to administer a total of 120 copies of questionnaire, 30 in each quota to generate the data which was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings show that most small-scale industries in Jos North are owned by private individuals who have personal savings as a major source of finance and employed less than seven persons. One of the major contributions they have made is the creation of employment opportunities and in encouraging self-reliance. The study also found out that small-scale industries in Jos North face challenges which have limited their growth, such include poor funding and low patronage. Also using Chi-square test at 5% significant level, the study established that there is no significant difference in the types of challenges faced by different types of small-scale industries in the study area. The study therefore recommended that the Public-Private-Participation (PPP) strategy should be adopted to help solve some of the challenges and encourage the growth of small-scale industries sustainably