Entrepreneurship intentions of higher education institution students in Nigeria: antecedents and interactions

This study used structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine how cultural values, perceived success expectations, and personal abilities shape entrepreneurial intention among Nigerian university students. A structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from 147 university students and analysed using Partial Least Squares SEM (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that entrepreneurial intention is shaped by personal abilities, cultural values, and perceived success expectations, with personal abilities most prominent. Additionally, perceived success expectations strongly influence personal abilities and moderately affect cultural values. These results demonstrate how cultural norms, perceived success expectations, and individual aptitudes affect entrepreneurship uptake by Nigerian university students. This study empirically tests the direct effects of personal abilities (PA), cultural values (CV), and perceived success expectations (PSE) on entrepreneurial intention (EI) in a context where these relationships are underexplored. Unlike prior studies, we validate PSE’s dual role in reinforcing both PA and CV, offering new insights for theory and practice in emerging economies. The findings inform educational initiatives and policies to foster entrepreneurial among students in Nigeria, leading to economic growth.