There is an increasing understanding that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can protect the planet, reduce inequality and tackle poverty. However, many small business owners and entrepreneurs in Africa still see it as a misery. This study aims to determine whether the SDG's goal number five (5) is being used to motivate gender equality among small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa, particularly in Kenya and Nigeria. The study focuses on female entrepreneurs. The target population comprised 110 randomly selected businesses operating in Embakasi East constituency in the Embakasi ward in Nairobi County, Kenya, and Ikeja Local Government in Lagos Mainland of Lagos state Nigeria. The sample size was determined by relying on a prior study on women in business in Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research method, administering open-ended interviews to the respondents, and the response rate was 90.91%. Descriptive statistical analysis was adopted, and the examination of the data demonstrated that a significant number of women working in SMEs are unaware of the SDGs in the two countries despite the United Nations (UN) supporting gender equality. The research concludes that there is still a considerable difference between men and women in SMEs in Africa and the awareness of SDG goals is limited. It is recommended that the management of small businesses, regulators, and policymakers should increase the knowledge of the global goals for more awareness and sustainability adoption in African countries. This can also support sustainable business growth and close the inequality gap in small African businesses

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Purpose. Many small business owners and entrepreneurs in Africa still see sustainable development goals as a misery. The study investigates whether sustainable development goal number five (5) is being used to motivate gender equality among small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa, particularly in Kenya and Nigeria. The study focuses on female entrepreneurs and female-owned businesses. Design/methodology/approach. A qualitative approach involving semi-structured in-depth interviews was considered with a target population of 110 participants selected from businesses operating in Embakasi East constituency in the Embakasi ward in Nairobi County, Kenya, and in Ikeja Local Government in the Lagos Mainland of Lagos state Nigeria. The primary interview data was gathered from businesses in the manufacturing, services, information technology, transport, trading, and communications sectors. Findings. From the population of 110 participants, the response rate was 90.91%. Results demonstrated that a significant number of women working in SMEs are unaware of the sustainable development goal number five (5) in the two countries despite the United Nations (UN) supporting gender equality globally. The research concludes that there is still a considerable difference between men and women in small and medium-sized SMEs in Africa, and the awareness of sustainable development goals is limited. Research limitations/implications. The restriction of the dataset from a small sample size of women-owned businesses operating in Embakasi East constituency in the Embakasi ward in Nairobi County, Kenya, and in Ikeja Local Government in the Lagos State Nigeria. The research criteria used to choose study participants were unique to the current research; future researchers may consider changing the research criteria and sample size to broaden the study's focus. Practical implications. The study advances empirical research on sustainable development goal number five (5) by offering evidence of its impact on women-owned businesses. Further, the study throws light on the need to the fact that gender equality is necessary and why women should receive funding and mentoring to help them succeed as business owners. Originality/value. The study provides a comparative study with evidence from two countries, Kenya and Nigeria, on sustainable development goal number five (5) and throws light on the relevance of gender equality on business performance as funding and mentoring will assist women-owned businesses. For Africa to flourish and grow economically, gender equality is crucial.

The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a significant shock to businesses, with negative implications on present production capacity. Simultaneously, technology is being increasingly recommended as a significant means of minimising economic losses caused by the pandemic. Survival and lack of performance of small and medium-sized businesses continue to generate public discourse, intellectual interest, and attention. Though relationship between technological capabilities and business performance is more intricate than is often assumed. Inadequate technological capability is one of the primary factors contributing to business situation. Therefore, relationship between technological capability (TC) and business performance was examined amongst selected small and medium-sized businesses in Lagos State. This study used a survey research methodology with a sample size of 742 owner-managers of chosen SMEs in Lagos State. A questionnaire that was adopted and validated for the study was used to collect data. The questionnaire questions' Cronbach's alpha coefficients range from 0.77 to 0.88. The response rate to the survey was 94.5 percent. Using descriptive and inferential statistics, the acquired data was analysed (Pearson product moment correlation and regression analysis). The examination of the data demonstrated a significant association between technological capacity and small company performance (= 0.090, t = 3.029, F= 245.45 p.05). The conclusion of this research is that technical aptitude is a resource that enhances the performance of small businesses, with theoretical and practical consequences for businesses. It is recommended that the managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Lagos State use their technology capability as a business resource, since this could help them generate new ideas or enhance existing goods.