Comparative analysis of entrepreneurial propensity in developing economies: the case of Nigeria and Saudi Arabia

Entrepreneurship education (EE) improves national entrepreneurial ecosystems and creates possible path for entrepreneurial activities to engage massive youth in developing economies. This paper performs a comparative analysis of the key determinants of students’ entrepreneurial propensity in Nigeria (NGR) and Saudi Arabia (KSA). The study adopts cross-sectional survey design by collecting data from two universities each from Nigeria and Saudi Arabia in 2018. The results showed that students from both countries have high entrepreneurial propensity, although the interest is a bit higher in Nigeria. It also showed that Nigerian students engaged more in entrepreneurial activities than their counterparts in the KSA. The regression analysis shows that entrepreneurship education and business plan development predispose students in both countries to entrepreneurship. Students’ business plan, university environment and parents’ involvement in business have more significant influence on entrepreneurship propensity in KSA than NGR. Policy implications were drawn for decision makers and university administrators in both countries.