This study investigated the predictive relationship between psychological empowerment and self-determination on achievement motivation among private business owners in Ikeja, Lagos. descriptive survey research design was adopted and data was gathered using standardized scales on two independent variable and one dependent variable. A sample of 299 private business owner was surveyed using a purposive sampling technique.
Result of the correlation analysis revealed that achievement motivation was significantly positively correlated with meaning (r = .111, p < .05), competence (r = .172, p < .01), and self-determination (r = .189, p < .01), but negatively correlated with age (r = –.077, p < .05). This suggests that business owner with a stronger sense of purpose, higher perceived competence, and greater self-determination exhibit higher achievement motivation, while motivation slightly declines with increasing age.
Multiple regression results showed a significant joint influence of meaning, competence, and self-determination on achievement motivation (F (3, 294) = 9.963, p < .01), though they accounted for only 6.7% of the variance (R² = .067). Each predictor also had a significant independent contribution.
Results from t-test revealed that male participants had significantly higher achievement motivation than their females’ counterparts (t (297) = 2.686, p < .01). Analysis of variance results revealed that marital status showed no significant effect on motivation (F = 1.200, p > .05), while education level had a significant influence (F = 7.790, p < .05), with postgraduate degree holders showing the highest motivation levels. 
Overall, the study concludes that psychological empowerment and self-determination significantly predict achievement motivation and highlights the importance of education and gender dynamics in motivational outcomes within private business ownership settings.