Assessing the Impact of Franchising Clothing and Textile Enterprises in Benue State, Nigeria

The study assessed the impact of franchising clothing/textile enterprise in Benue State. Objectives were to assess the awareness of franchising, examine the impact of clothing/textile franchising enterprise on employment generation, identify the challenges of franchising in Benue State, and the way forward. Sixty-five clothing stores across Benue were assessed. Questionnaire was used for data collection. The findings of the study are inadequate media publicity, lack of franchise general regulation, and ignorance about franchising leads to low level of awareness. Franchising contributes to public policy initiatives of employment creation and poverty reduction, revenue generation, and sustainability. Also, lack of start-up capital, difficulties in accessing finances, and inadequate infrastructure are some of the challenges of franchising in the State. The way forward includes that government policies towards franchising should be favorable, and banks and other money lenders should make cash available to people who may want to engage in franchising, among others. In conclusion, since franchising does generate employment for Benue State, it should be made known to the people to invest in it. The study therefore recommended that, government and other sectors should create adequate awareness through media, seminars and workshops on franchising.