Conducting Surveys in Africa: Reflections from National Surveys in Nigeria

Entrepreneurship, innovation and development research often rely on survey data. High-quality national survey data enable researchers to answer a wide array of policy-relevant questions but are sparse in developing countries. Small surveys help to fill the gap but are generally difficult to implement. This chapter highlights four major challenges that researchers face in implementing surveys in Africa, provides seven tips to overcome these challenges, and provides a list of seven high-quality data sources for entrepreneurship, innovation and development research. Researchers with an interest in developing countries, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, will find this chapter relevant.