Cyber Café and Entrepreneurial Development in Nigeria: Problems and Solutions (The Warri Metropolis Case)

Abstract

This paper examines internet cyber cafes and entrepreneurial development in Nigeria using Warri Metropolis as a case. The study is a survey research design with sample size of 32 cyber café operators drawn from 16 cyber cafes selected randomly. An instrument titles “cyber café and Entrepreneurial Development” designed by the researcher and validated by IT and measurement and evaluation experts was used to collect data. The instrument was subjected to reliability test using the split half and the spearman Brown methods. Two research questions and one hypothesis was formulated to guide the study. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the research questions while inferential statistics of the one tail t-test was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significant. The result of the analysis reveal among others that: poor electric supply, inadequate telecommunication facilities, high cost of computer acquisition, high cost of subscription to internet service providers and thunder and lightning that do strike cyber cafes equipment occasionally are some of the problems confronting cyber café entrepreneurs. Recommendations were made to enhance effective cyber café operations in Nigeria; among which are: Government should increase electric supply and telecommunication infrastructure and adopt liberal policy towards importation of computers so as to promote entrepreneurs in the area.