Abstract

This study investigates the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in promoting business sustainability within N’yak, Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. It specifically examines how institutional activities such as entrepreneurship training, research-driven innovation, and community engagement enhance local enterprise resilience and sustainable practices. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed, integrating survey questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions involving students, institutional staff, and small business owners. Quantitative data analysed using SPSS (Version 26), revealed that HEI activities had a statistically significant positive effect on business sustainability (R = 0.781; R² = 0.610; F (3,144) = 82.03; p < 0.001). Among the predictors, entrepreneurial-skills development (â = 0.41, p < 0.001) emerged as the strongest contributor, followed by innovation and technology transfer (â = 0.31, p < 0.01) and sustainable resource management (â = 0.25, p < 0.01). Qualitative findingsm analysed thematically using NVivo 12, identified four dominant themes: (i) skill empowerment and enterprise growth, (ii) sustainability awareness and resource efficiency, (iii) innovation co-creation and market adaptation, and (iv) barriers such as limited funding and weak follow-up mechanisms. The integration of both data strands confirms that HEIs play a pivotal role in fostering entrepreneurial competencies, environmentally responsible practices, and innovation diffusion within rural economies. The study concludes that strategic partnerships between academia, industry, and government are essential to strengthen sustainable rural economic development. It recommends embedding sustainability-oriented curricula, expanding community outreach programs, and establishing innovation incubation hubs within rural higher institutions.