Competitive Advantage and Performance of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria

Abstract The study examined the relationship between competitive advantage and performance of SMEs in Maiduguri Metropolis Borno State. The study adopted a survey research design and a simple random sampling technique was applied. Primary data was used by administering a structured questionnaire to the respondents. Population of 1,448 were selected from a variety of registered SMEs' owners. The study's sample size was 313. Resource-based theory was chosen as the foundational framework for the study. The developed hypotheses were tested using regression analysis while descriptive statistics were used to analyze the research questions. The results showed that there is relationship between performance of SMEs and competitive advantage. This suggests that small and medium-sized businesses in Maiduguri, Metropolis, Borno State, perform far better when they have a competitive edge in terms of cost, quality, price, and service delivery- meaning that of their cost of production, the quality of their products, the price of their products and the type of service they render to their customers. The study recommended that small and medium-sized businesses should maintain a competitive advantage in relation to pricing, quality, and service delivery since it improves effectiveness, efficiency, and sales.