The Role of Accounting Information in the Survival of Small Scale Businesses in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

Small scale enterprises play a vital role in the economic development of any
country. In Nigeria, the management of these enterprises have been constrained by lack of knowledge of accounting by the stakeholders. This study aimed at examining the roles of accounting information in the survival of small businesses in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. The study spotlighted the importance of small scale enterprises in the development of Nigerian economy, problems that pose a threat to the survival of small scale businesses and the relevance of accounting information to the operations of a business/organization. Structured questionnaire was employed in the course of gathering relevant data for the study. 100 employees from twenty small scale enterprises in Warri, Delta State were randomly selected for the study. While chi-square statistical technique was used in data analysis. The results indicated among others that the success of small scale business enterprises in Nigeria depends greatly but not solely in accounting information; that most small scale businesses do not keep accounting
records due to ignorance about accounting information. The study therefore
concluded that for small scale businesses to function successfully, adequate
accounting information is necessary therefore managers of small businesses
should employ and utilize the services of professional accountants who perform expert and useful accounting services to small scale firms in order to improve on their operational performance.