Fuoye Journal Of Management Innovation And Entrepreneurship Link

Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurial Resilience, Business Model Innovation, Nigerian SMEs, FUOYE, Entrepreneurship. 1. Introduction Entrepreneurship is widely acknowledged as the engine of economic development in emerging economies (Ogunyomi & Bruning, 2016). In Nigeria, SMEs constitute over 96% of all businesses and contribute 48% to the national GDP (SMEDAN, 2022). However, the entrepreneurial landscape in the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) catchment area and Nigeria at large is characterized by chronic vulnerability—economic shocks, policy inconsistencies, and infrastructure deficits frequently cripple nascent ventures.

The missing link appears to be . Many Nigerian SMEs adopt digital tools (e.g., POS machines, social media ads) without changing how they create, deliver, and capture value. This study, therefore, asks: Does business model innovation mediate the relationship between digital transformation and entrepreneurial resilience in Nigerian SMEs? By answering this, the paper contributes to the nascent entrepreneurship literature specific to Ekiti State and the FUOYE academic community. 3. Literature Review and Hypotheses 2.1 Entrepreneurial Resilience Resilience is not merely a personality trait but a dynamic capability. For entrepreneurs, it includes proactive adaptation, resource reconfiguration, and opportunity creation during crises (Duchek, 2020). fuoye journal of management innovation and entrepreneurship

For example, an SME using a WhatsApp Business account (DT) without shifting from a transactional to a subscription-based model (BMI) remains fragile. This aligns with Teece’s (2010) assertion that BMI is the firm-level equivalent of adaptation in evolutionary economics. In Nigeria, SMEs constitute over 96% of all