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Foreign direct investment (FDI) provides a source of new technologies, processes, products, and management skills. Thus, the inflow of foreign knowledge and technology though FDI may lead to technological spillovers to the local economy resulting in higher productivity and overall economic growth. Over the years, there have existed many FDIs in Nigeria in the form of multinational companies (MNCs), especially in food industry. The purpose of this paper is to assess the various forms of technological spillovers from MNCs to domestic small and medium food companies (SMFCs) in Nigeria, with a view to determining their nature and extent.

The study employed a multi‐stage sampling method. First, three States from Southwestern Nigeria, where the activities of MNCs are prominent, were purposively chosen. Then, five sub‐sectors of food companies, where the majority of domestic food companies are represented were selected; out of which 200 food companies were chosen for the study through stratified random sampling technique. The primary data were collected through structured questionnaire administered on the selected companies, to elicit information on the various forms of technological spillovers that had taken place.

The various forms of spillovers from the MNCs to the domestic SMFCs in Nigeria were linkages, investment in human capital, and labour turnover. Most of the SMFCs indicated linkages with MNCs, and the relationship was mainly forward type. About 50 per cent and 7 per cent domestic SMFCs benefitted from the training opportunities and from technical assistance from MNCs, respectively. Also, 37.5 per cent of the owner managers had working experience from MNCs in the areas of research and development, production or operation, quality control, and administration. The changes effected in their production technology included embarking on more efficient production and efficient use of existing resources.

Previous studies on technological spillover measured spillovers in terms of productivity gains rather than through technological learning, capability building, and linkages activities. The paper re‐conceptualises technological spillover from MNCs by linking the spillover occurrence to the technological changes associated with the production capability.

The economic impact of scientific research is receiving widespread attention all over the world, with interest being paid to research results that could potentially contribute to economic growth. There have been various policy responses in many African countries to facilitate the nation’s transition from a production-based to an innovation-based economy, especially in the universities. The effort is, however taken for granted that scientists (researchers) are now having academic entrepreneurship mindset. The purpose of this paper is to attempt at developing a model that integrates individual, organisational and institutional determinants of academic entrepreneurship, which can facilitate the ability to cross the “valley of death”.

The paper reviews the theoretical and empirical literature to establish the factors that influence the capacity of academic researchers to discover and exploit opportunities for converting knowledge into commercialisable products.

The findings indicate that exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities is driven by the extent of previous collaboration with industry, cognitive integration and prior entrepreneurial experience. Moreover, the university institutional environment must encourage and facilitate the creation of university spin-offs.

The paper and the proposed framework are based on theoretical suppositions related to the determinant factors underlying the formation of academic entrepreneurial intentions. Therefore, an empirical analysis is required to measure each factor proposed in this model.

Considering the present weak national innovation system and university-industry linkages, universities in developing countries will require more than the production of potentially useful knowledge. There is need for conscious efforts by the university administration to put in place mechanisms that will facilitate the commercialisation of knowledge being produced in the university, encourage active participation in designing marketable products, as well as playing a leadership role in ensuring successful commercialisation.

The findings and framework developed in this paper can serve as an input to the design of policies that can stimulate the entrepreneurial activity of the academic researchers so that they can further contribute to technological development and economic growth in African countries.

Majority of the empirical studies on entrepreneurship in developing countries have not attempted to understand the entrepreneurial intention of university academic (researchers). But the current efforts of integrating economic development as an additional function to research and teaching of the universities in developing countries requires that they should operate more entrepreneurially. Therefore, this paper is proposing a framework that might stimulate the creation and development of entrepreneurial university thereby making the university to effectively fulfil its teaching, research and entrepreneurial missions.

Entrepreneurial education is gaining traction in Ghana. The purpose of this chapter was to assess the influences of social enterprises in promoting entrepreneurial education, using Ghanaian social enterprises as a case study. The study adopted a qualitative research approach. A multiple case study analysis examined the influences of social enterprises in Ghana. Four in-depth qualitative case studies offer insight into social enterprise practices. Sustainability, innovation, control and employment issues stand out as key effects of Ghanaian social enterprise practices. The social practice theory framework is used to draw the linkages of the structure and agency relationships. Sustainability emerges as the most dominant impact of social enterprise practice followed by innovation, control and employment. These four descriptive terms summarise the universal effects of Ghanaian social enterprises' practices. The study identifies and assesses the role of social enterprises in social entrepreneurial education in addressing social ills and environmental challenges facing Ghana. The emphasis placed on each of the identified four constructs describes the plausible roles of Ghana's social enterprises in achieving productive entrepreneurship through entrepreneurship education. The result shows the pursuit of multiple practices is a common feature of social enterprises. The limitations of the study stem from methodological approach as it is qualitative approach bias and a single country case. Likewise, the subjectivities of the samples direct the results of the study. The study draws the attention of stakeholders and policymakers to the goodwill of social entrepreneurship education in Ghana. Many studies have been conducted on entrepreneurial education in the contextual setting of this study. This present study focused on the practices of social enterprises in Ghana that influences entrepreneurial education.