Interrogating returnee entrepreneurship in the Nigerian context

Abstract

This study intends to appraise the characteristics of returnee entrepreneurship and its contributions to development in form of transfer of knowledge and skills in the Nigerian context. A case study approach complemented with situational observations was employed. The lived experiences of two returnees were interrogated in semi-structured interviews for an in-depth analysis. Findings illustrate the dilemmas and challenges returnee entrepreneurs from the developed host countries confronted in their entrepreneurial endeavor in the homeland. This paper highlights the misconceptions around relocation of immigrants’ business people back to their homeland. It contributes to the growing literature on the social and economic impacts of returnee entrepreneurs (as opposed to diaspora and transnational entrepreneurs) to their homelands’ development.