Fuoye Journal Of Management Innovation And — Entrepreneurship

Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurial Resilience, Business Model Innovation, Nigerian SMEs, FUOYE, Entrepreneurship. 1. Introduction Entrepreneurship is widely acknowledged as the engine of economic development in emerging economies (Ogunyomi & Bruning, 2016). In Nigeria, SMEs constitute over 96% of all businesses and contribute 48% to the national GDP (SMEDAN, 2022). However, the entrepreneurial landscape in the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) catchment area and Nigeria at large is characterized by chronic vulnerability—economic shocks, policy inconsistencies, and infrastructure deficits frequently cripple nascent ventures.

In the SME context, DT spans three levels: digitization (analog to digital), digitalization (process improvement), and digital transformation (strategic organizational change) (Rogers, 2016). Nigerian SMEs are largely at the first two levels. fuoye journal of management innovation and entrepreneurship

Table 1: Descriptive Statistics and Correlations | Variable | Mean | SD | 1 | 2 | 3 | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1. Digital Transformation | 3.12 | 0.94 | 1 | | | | 2. Business Model Innovation | 2.87 | 0.88 | .621** | 1 | | | 3. Entrepreneurial Resilience | 3.34 | 0.91 | .584** | .703** | 1 | **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). In Nigeria, SMEs constitute over 96% of all

BMI refers to a novel change in at least two of the following components: value proposition, value creation, and value capture (Teece, 2010). A digitally resilient SME is one that uses cloud accounting to shift from cash-based to credit-based revenue (BMI) rather than simply buying an accounting software (DT alone). Nigerian SMEs are largely at the first two levels

The missing link appears to be . Many Nigerian SMEs adopt digital tools (e.g., POS machines, social media ads) without changing how they create, deliver, and capture value. This study, therefore, asks: Does business model innovation mediate the relationship between digital transformation and entrepreneurial resilience in Nigerian SMEs? By answering this, the paper contributes to the nascent entrepreneurship literature specific to Ekiti State and the FUOYE academic community. 3. Literature Review and Hypotheses 2.1 Entrepreneurial Resilience Resilience is not merely a personality trait but a dynamic capability. For entrepreneurs, it includes proactive adaptation, resource reconfiguration, and opportunity creation during crises (Duchek, 2020).