n African Journal of Business and Economic Research - Business profiles of women entrepreneurs in Nigeria : the challenges facing a growing economic force in West Africa

Abstract

Productivity and employment issues are central to West Africa's social and economic life with recent literature noting that the two constitute a vicious circle that highlights the nature of poverty in its developing national economies, such as Nigeria. While women in Nigeria are generally considered to be at the bottom of the poverty ladder, they have been engaged in the country's commercial activities in the pre-colonial era, primarily to supplement their family's income. From the 1980s and on women's basic survival needs once again led many to entrepreneurial activities as a means of supporting themselves and their families. This study examines the business profiles of sixty seven women entrepreneurs in three regions of Nigeria in order to identify patterns of entrepreneurship and economic challenges facing Nigerian women business owners.