Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation in Tertiary Institutions in Imo State, Nigeria

This study evaluated the relationship between entrepreneurship and product innovation in tertiary institutions in Imo State. Specifically, the study examined the influence of two entrepreneurial indices—entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial culture—on two key dimensions of product innovation: product quality enhancement and new product development. The research was anchored on Joseph Schumpeter’s Theory of Innovation and supported by the Resource-Based View (RBV) of the firm. A correlational survey research design was adopted. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations with a benchmark criterion mean of 2.50) and inferential statistics using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) to test the four null hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. Empirical findings revealed that entrepreneurial orientation had a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship with product quality enhancement and new product development. Furthermore, entrepreneurial culture displayed a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship with product quality enhancement and new product development. The study concluded that fostering proactive entrepreneurial mindsets and supportive institutional environments directly accelerates research commercialization and product novelty in higher education. It was recommended that tertiary institutions in Imo State establish fully funded institutional innovation hubs and streamline intellectual property policies to enable researchers and students to commercialize market-ready products.