INSECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Insecurity has become a significant topic of discussion worldwide, with an increasing number of terror-related incidents being reported on various media platforms. Nigeria has been identified as a country plagued by terrorism, with kidnappings, banditry, protests, drug-related crimes, and social unrest affecting the country's stability. Two specific objectives guided the study, and 323 SMEs were surveyed using Cochran's formula to arrive at a representative sample. The study adopted a quantitative research design and employed Pearson's Product Moment Correlation to analyse the data obtained through the survey. The results indicated that drug or substance abuse had a significant impact on how SMEs engage their employees in Anambra State. Based on this finding, social media propaganda negatively affects SMEs' information management capabilities in the state. The study concluded that insecurity adversely affects Anambra state's business environment, thereby impacting the operations of SMEs. The study recommends that SMEs acquire business software and tools for event analysis and predicting future events.