Bioentrepreneurial competencies and Engagements in cassava wastes-based cottage industries:Environmental and Socio-economic implications

Abstract

Bioentrepreneurs develop and commercialize their scientific ideas and research results based on biological processes and systems for producing goods and services, or exploit opportunities for marketing scientific expertise. Level of competencies for bioentrepreneurial development and commercialization of foods and industrial raw materials from cassava wastes (CW) was studied using survey design. The study sample consisted of two hundred (200) male and female adult respondents randomly selected from four communities in Rivers State, Nigeria .A structured questionnaire of 4-point Likert scale study titled, “Level of bioentrepreneurial competencies and industrial engagement questionnaire” (LOBECAIEQ) was developed and used in collecting data for this study. Reliability of instruments was carried out using Cronbach’s alpha at 95% confidence limit with r =0.884. Data were analyzed using mean, Pearson’s product moment correlation and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results indicated that levels of entrepreneurial competencies for engagement in CW-based ventures was acceptably high (ᵡ>2.5) with male>female, although actual engagement was low for higher bioconversion (h (ᵡ<2.5). There were no significant correlations between male and female responses (r<1.00; p<0.05). Bioentrepreneurship in promotes capital and job creation, with attendant socio-economic gains among rural and urban dwellers in addition to fostering environmental protection and conservation. Recommendations for overcoming the bioentrepreneurship initiative bottlenecks were listed.