Influence of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises on the Economic Performance of the Manufacturing Sector in Kaduna State: A case study of Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc

Abstract

This paper set out to evaluate how Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) function as an instrument of economic advancement in the manufacturing segment of Kaduna State, covering the years 2011 through 2025. One hundred respondents drawn from Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc within the Kaduna metropolis supplied the data through a survey-based methodology. A systematic appraisal of relevant academic literature provided the conceptual and theoretical grounding for the study. Structured questionnaires served as the principal instrument for primary data collection, and three research questions were designed to steer the investigation. Chi-square statistics were applied in testing and verifying the formulated hypotheses. Key outcomes of the analysis reveal that SMEs contribute substantially to the Nigerian economy through productive output and job creation, among several other measurable benefits. The study further uncovers that stunted credit access, managerial inefficiency, corruption, insufficient workforce training, crumbling infrastructure, and weak product demand rank among the foremost obstacles constraining SME expansion in Nigeria. The study arrives at the conclusion that, despite the operational difficulties they encounter, small and medium enterprises have made a net positive contribution to the Nigerian economy. On this basis, the study urges government to direct commercial banks to allocate a greater share of their lending portfolios to SMEs, thereby relieving the financial pressures that threaten the sustainability of many such businesses.