Abstract

Major sources of employment and income generation for urban residents in Nigeria and most other developing countries are found in what is referred to as Home Based Enterprises (HBEs). In Nigeria, a wide range of economic activities fall within these enterprises. These enterprises provide residential neighbourhoods with a range of services. The HBEs face a number of operational problems. Using data from Aba, the major economic centre of Abia State, Nigeria, the paper demonstrates the heterogeneous nature of HBEs, highlights their job creation potential and shows that about 61% of the operators dispose of solid waste generated by their enterprises through other sources outside government waste collection containers.

Key words: Retailing and provision store, electrical repair shop, employment generation.