A survey of micro-enterprise in urban West Africa

Drivers Shaping the Sector

Bibliographic Data

ID3885593
AuthorsMarc-André Roy (72 Chamberlain Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K15 1V9), Marc‐André Roy (0000-0002-0123-6651), David Wheeler (0000-0002-8981-8516, Dalhousie University)
Year2006
Volume16
Issue5
Pages452-464
Publication date2006-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDevelopment in Practice (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0961-4524 • E-ISSN: 1364-9213
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09614520600792432
OpenAlexW2094844048
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited2

This article identifies some key factors shaping the micro-enterprise sector in urban French West Africa. Drawing on interviews with micro-entrepreneurs and micro-finance practitioners in Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Togo, the study explores the needs, characteristics, motivations, and success factors for micro-entrepreneurship in the region, together with some of the impediments to the growth and success of micro-enterprise ventures. It was found that those operating micro-enterprises in the informal economy are entrepreneurs principally by necessity, and that their most basic needs tend to drive their business activities and behaviours. It was also observed that their success was constrained by a number of barriers, including poor access to capital, poor training, and general aversion to risk. As a result, the development of the micro-enterprise sector in urban French West Africa has been sub-optimal, and the authors conclude that this situation may persist unless broader economic and social barriers are addressed

Business · Development economics · Economic growth · Economics · Entrepreneurship · Geography · Informal sector · Micro-enterprise · Political science · Social capital · Microfinance and Financial Inclusion · Taxation and Compliance Studies · Finance

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