Despite the fierce competition in the business environment, firms accept relatively low innovative solutions in their daily activities and consequently lose competitive advantage, experience creeping growth at a snail's pace directly associated with the firm's inadequate finance and eventual collapse. This study examined the interrelationship between access to finance, innovation, and competitive advantage. Premised on the study findings, results revealed that innovation is an all-important strategy that differentiates the products and services of business firms and consequently sustaining competitive advantage. The results suggest that adequate financing can be a mechanism by which innovation and competitive advantage positively relate to increased performance. The strength between these variables would be heightened as access to finance increased. It was further established that firms with encouraging innovative culture would gain rare core competencies and maintain the position of the market leader while sustaining competitive advantage. Based on these findings, the study recommends that business firms conduct market surveys to determine the need of current and prospective customers. Management should prioritize, invest heavily in research and development, and the government should strive to provide adequate financial support, infrastructural facilities, and incentives for business operations.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in growing and building developing nations' national economy. This study investigates a deep understanding of the influence of Information Communication Technology (ICT) on SMEs' performance in Nigeria. The study found out that most SME owners engage in local business practices in nature of the operation, and marketing strategies are limited within the country. Hence, this is a growing concern, the need to broaden the field of doing business through global integration with ICT aid, which would improve the country's economic growth at large. Based on the literature reviewed, this research work helps to identify the underlying causes, limited ICT readiness, its effectiveness and the need for ICT implementation into business processes, and the knowledge of its potential benefit. Therefore, this paper examines the role of ICT in small businesses' performance; this is estimated to enhance firm productivity and increase profitability, improving overall SMEs’ performance. The study recommends that provision be made for more ICT training facilities, and SMEs need to embrace information and communication technology in terms of resources, networks, and consumer skills. Entrepreneurs are to be enlightened and educated on how ICT can be used to boost operating efficiency. The government should create an enabling environment by offering ICT infrastructure that will promote its growth and implementation in SMEs. This study's data relied on secondary data and current research on SMEs worldwide, focusing on Nigeria. Keywords: Small and Medium Enterprises, Information Communication Technology, Limitation, Challenges

The challenge of poverty has become widely known in Nigeria. Despite numerous economic development policies and strategic plans intended to eradicate it through the development of highly skilled labor and capital, the country's economy is still rife with social vices that have increased unemployment and led to starvation among the populace. This study examines and analyses the financial structure and business development in southwest Nigeria, driven by two primary research goals: to understand the significance of financing decisions determining entrepreneurial success or failure and to explore the critical factors essential for business survival and those that impact how businesses expand across Southwest Nigeria. The data collected were analyzed with the use of Descriptive Statistics and Partial least squares (PLS). Investigating the impact of financial structure on business development in Southwest Nigeria used a survey that engaged 8,395 established SMEs, representing 36% of all SMEs in the Southwest states of Nigeria. The primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The findings revealed the importance of reducing this stubborn economic destructor with the help of vital entrepreneurial business finance. This proves that business funding, particularly in southwest Nigeria, may act as an economic stimulant. Thus, the study findings are new and essential as they focus on a region of Nigeria that has not attracted much attention in the world of academia and research. This study closes the critical knowledge gap, providing insights into how regional businesses can develop through effective financial structures. It extends the existing body of knowledge, showing how affordable business financing acts as an economic stimulant to entrepreneurial development and expansion. Thus, this research recommended that business development be well established through well-structured policies, financed, and supported to help address the various social vices.

This chapter addressed Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impact on tertiary institutions in Nigeria, its effect on the economy, and possible coping strategies in a time of global pandemic and national disaster. COVID-19 was reported as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, discovered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, spread to several nations, forcing the closure of tertiary institutions all over the world. The effect has also disrupted the school academic calendar at tertiary institutions, decreased international education, Suspension of local and international conferences, etc. And the economy, leading to job losses, revenue loss in the informal sector, business closure, agricultural production and food insecurity, a sharp drop in oil revenues, and economic uncertainties. Which, thus, harms the economy. This chapter makes recommendations to assist Nigeria's government and the educational institutions in coping with the effect of the outbreak and similar pandemics soon.