As Nigeria navigates economic recovery and digital transformation in 2025, gender gap remains a stubborn barrier in the country’s workforce. Despite some progress, systemic obstacles continue to limit women’s full participation and advancement in the labour market. According to the World Bank, women make up roughly 45.5% of Nigeria’s labour force. However, this figure masks the deep-seated inequalities rooted in cultural norms, education gaps, and structural discrimination.
Persistent Gender Gap Amid Growing Participation
Women are increasingly participating in both formal and informal sectors, but their journeys are often cut short by societal expectations. Outdated gender roles; where caregiving is expected solely from women, continue to restrict mobility and limit income-earning potential. Many Nigerian women, especially in rural and low-income households, are discouraged from pursuing formal employment or higher education due to early marriages and restrictive domestic responsibilities.
According to UNICEF, Nigeria still ranks high globally for child marriage, with approximately 44% of girls married before age 18. This significantly undermines women’s chances of entering or remaining in the labour market.
Education, Bias, and Workforce Access
The gender gap in education remains a key barrier. A 2024 report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that only 39% of girls in northern Nigeria complete secondary school, compared to 61% of boys. This educational disparity feeds directly into limited job prospects and contributes to the underrepresentation of women in high-paying industries like finance, energy, and technology.
Where women do enter the workforce, internal biases from employers and even spouses create additional hurdles. In many households, men still discourage their partners from working in white-collar sectors, perceiving such environments as a threat to marital stability. These stereotypes not only suppress women’s aspirations but also affect hiring decisions and workplace dynamics.
Gender Gap in Agriculture: High Participation, Low Reward
Women constitute about 70% of Nigeria’s agricultural labour force, yet they control less than 20% of land and agricultural assets. A study by the African Development Bank in 2023 found that female farmers produce 25-30% less than their male counterparts, largely due to limited access to financing, training, and farming equipment.
Interventions such as cash transfers and mobile banking programs have shown promise. In Kebbi State, for instance, a women-targeted cash transfer initiative in 2022 led to a 32% increase in household income among beneficiaries.
Gender Gap in the Informal Sector
The majority of female entrepreneurs in Nigeria operate within small-scale, informal enterprises with little to no growth potential. These businesses often exist out of necessity, not opportunity, and are hindered by lack of credit, training, and market access.
Psychological barriers also play a role. A 2023 study by the World Bank on women in West Africa found that personal initiative training significantly improved the performance of female-owned businesses. However, scaling such interventions remains a challenge due to poor outreach and cultural resistance.
Gender Gap in Nigeria: The Digital Divide
As Nigeria undergoes a fintech and digital services boom, women are once again being left behind. The GSMA Mobile Gender Gap Report 2024 highlighted that only 48% of women in Nigeria own smartphones compared to 63% of men. This digital exclusion limits women’s access to online education, remote work, and mobile banking; all of which are crucial in today’s economy.
Women also face financial exclusion. While mobile money services are expanding, a 2024 EFInA report found that only 35% of Nigerian women use formal financial services versus 55% of men. This disparity hinders their ability to save, invest, and grow businesses independently.
What Can Be Done to Close the Gender Gap?
To close the gender gap in Nigeria’s workforce, multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential. Policy reforms must prioritise:
- Gender-responsive education: Enforce free, compulsory secondary education for girls.
- Legal protection: Strengthen anti-discrimination laws in hiring and pay.
- Financial inclusion: Expand access to microloans, savings, and digital finance tailored for women.
- Cultural reorientation: Invest in nationwide campaigns that challenge harmful gender norms.
- Skill-building programs: Scale up personal initiative training and digital literacy campaigns for women.
Several initiatives are already showing impact. The Women in Tech Nigeria initiative, launched in 2023, has trained over 10,000 women in coding, UI/UX design, and digital marketing. Similarly, the Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs Fund (NWEF) disbursed over N2 billion in micro-loans to 8,000 women in its first year.
In Summary
Gender disparity in Nigeria’s workforce is not just a women’s issue, it is a national economic concern. Empowering women with equal opportunities, resources, and recognition will not only reduce poverty but also unlock the country’s full productive potential. The path to an inclusive, equitable future demands that Nigeria dismantle its structural biases and invest intentionally in its women.
