EFFECT OF WOMAN ENTREPRENUER DEVELOPMENT ON ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT IN DUTSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, JIGAWA STATE NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction

Entrepreneurship has been widely recognized as a critical driver of economic growth, innovation, and employment creation across the globe (Adelekan & Lawal, 2021). Within this framework, women entrepreneurship has emerged as a vital component, contributing significantly to socio-economic transformation, poverty reduction, and sustainable development, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria (Eze & Nwankwo, 2020). Women entrepreneurs not only create economic value but also foster inclusive development by generating income, creating jobs, and investing in the welfare of their communities (Ogunyemi & Omolayo, 2022). In recent decades, the increasing participation of women in entrepreneurial activities has gained global attention, with international bodies such as the United Nations and the World Bank emphasizing the need for women empowerment as a pathway to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (United Nations, 2023).

In Nigeria, women entrepreneurs operate in various sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, services, and trade, often serving as key players in the informal economy (Okeke et al., 2021). However, despite their contributions, women entrepreneurs continue to face structural and systemic challenges such as inadequate access to finance, limited business training, socio-cultural constraints, and poor infrastructural facilities (Afolabi & Aladejare, 2019). These barriers hinder their capacity to expand their businesses and fully contribute to economic development. Empirical studies have shown that addressing these challenges through targeted policy interventions, capacity building, and financial inclusion programs can significantly enhance women’s entrepreneurial performance and, in turn, boost local and national economies (World Bank, 2022).

Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State presents a unique case for examining the role of women entrepreneur development in economic growth. The area hosts a variety of women-led businesses ranging from petty trading and food processing to agricultural enterprises and service-based ventures. Given the region’s socio-economic structure, women entrepreneurs are essential contributors to household income, local job creation, and community welfare. However, many of them operate on a small scale, with limited resources and exposure to modern business practices, which affects their productivity and sustainability (Abdullahi & Suleiman, 2023). Understanding the relationship between women entrepreneurship and economic development in Dutse is therefore essential for designing policies and programs that will empower women and accelerate local economic growth.

1.1 Background to the study

Increasing the number of women entrepreneurs involved in starting new businesses is critical for a country's long-term economic growth (GEM 2000). In addition to their economic and income-generating activities, women assume multi-faceted roles in society, i.e. as unpaid family workers, service providers in the communities and mother/care-taker of the family In spite of their important contributions to socio-economic development; women suffer from various constraints, which inhibit them from fully realizing their potential for development (UNIDO 2003).

Africa has enormous unexploited potential, especially the potential of women. Specifically, it pointed out that women comprise one of Africa's hidden growth reserves, providing most of the region's labor, but their productivity is hampered by widespread inequality in education as well as unequal access to land and productive inputs (World Bank report 2000). African women entrepreneurs follow a path that is in most cases different from entrepreneurial activities in the developed countries of the West in an attempt to find an African answer to the applicability of models and theories developed in other parts of the world. In Africa, Many women tend to be in small sector microenterprises, mainly in the informal sector. It is inappropriate and undesirable for Africa to import entrepreneurial techniques wholesale from developed countries (SAMEN 2005).

Women in traditional African economy form the primary producers especially in agriculture, food processing including both the preservation and the storage of products and that of marketing and trading surpluses of other vital household items. “Women are also involved in other activities such as weaving, spinning and several handicrafts, while the predominant role of men in the corresponding period was hunting” (Kpelai, 2009:145). This roles played by women were more entrepreneurial oriented. However, the advent of modern development has relegated the role of women in entrepreneurship to the background while portraying their male counterpart to lime light. Women, according to Jeminiwa (1995), are at the heart of development and economic growth as they control most of the non-monetary economy (subsistence agriculture, bearing children, domestic labour, and so on) and play an important role in the monetary economy as well (trading, wage, labour, employment among others). As Nigeria yearns for economic growth, emphasis must be laid on entrepreneurship. Some entrepreneurial programs already embarked upon by the Federal Government of Nigeria include: Family Economic Advancement Program (FEAP), Peoples Bank of Nigeria, National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), Small and Medium Industries Equity Investment Scheme (SMIEIS) and so on are all targeted towards promoting a vibrant entrepreneurial class that will actively articulate the economic development process. However, women are not specially targeted; but it was presumed that the extension of these services to the rural areas where women dominate in economic activities will empower them. In spite of these entrepreneurial programmes aimed at developing Nigerians entrepreneurial skills, women are still vulnerable and suffer a lot of constraints and inhibitions which militate against their personal as well as national development. Rural women according to Jeminniwa (1995), are getting poorer and further marginalized both in the utilization of available resources and access to factors of production. The Abuja Declaration on Participatory Development holds that: “Sustainable development can only be achieved with the full participation of women who constitutes approximately 50% of the population” (Iheduru, 2002). Since women form a great percentage of the Nigeria population,(FGN Census, 2006) they are expected to contribute their quota to the growth of the nation. The neglect of women in the development process constitutes a waste of human resources. Therefore for any meaningful economic growth to take place, the role of women entrepreneurs must be constructively engaged. While the status of women in the developed and developing parts of the world has greatly risen, women remain the most economically and socially marginalized group of the undeveloped world.

1.2       Statement of Problem

In the global economy women are an emerging force that policy makers cannot afford to ignore. What are the implications of this for businesswomen throughout the world, How can women business associations best channel this potential and maximize it to improve the status of women in the world economy? (Susanne E. Jalbert 2000). Increasing entrepreneurship among women and providing needed capital to women entrepreneurs are decisive components in Africa's long-term struggle for prosperity. These are deserving of the attention and widespread support of world leaders, the development institutions whose actions they influence, and the private sector (World Bank report 2000).

Topic of women in entrepreneurship has been largely neglected both in society in general and in the social sciences Brush (2002) In-depth information on the share of women as owners of micro, small and medium enterprises, the area of concentration, challenges, and opportunities and strengths and weaknesses of their economic associations and networking is limited.

Given the achievement and increase role of Nigeria women entrepreneurs in the development of Nigeria there are still problems and achievements that need to be investigated and this study attempts to identify achievement and problems within women entrepreneurs in Nigeria, despite all these constraints, women in Nigeria are key players in economic and social development.

1.3 Research Objectives

This main objective of the study is on the Effect of women entrepreneur development on economy development.

Specific objectives are:

1.      To examine impact of women entrepreneurs development on Dutse economic development.

2.      To determine the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and how they are addressed.

3.      To investigate the contribution of women entrepreneurs to economic development of Dutse society.

4.      To analyse and give recommendations for the promotion of women entrepreneurship development in Dutse.

1.4       Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:

1.      What are the impacts of women entrepreneurs’ development on Dutse economic development?

2.      What ate the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and how they are addressed?

3.      What are the contributions of women entrepreneurs to economic development of Dutse society?

4.      What are the recommendations for the promotion of women entrepreneurship development in Dutse?

1.5       Significance of the Study

The lack of gender statistics in various areas makes evidence-based planning and Resource allocation difficulty (NISR; 2010). According to OECD (2004), while without a doubt the economic impact of women is substantial, we still lack a reliable picture, describing in detail that specific impact.

The study will give detail information for people interested in improving their knowledge about women's performance in Nigerian economy on characteristics of women entrepreneurs in Nigeria (age, marital status, income, Number of children, Education,..) that will enlighten the Nigerian society more about the role of women in socio-economic development and it will alert planners on the current situation of women entrepreneurs in Dutse by providing update information and analysis from the state of women entrepreneurship in expo 2017.

After investigating the problems of women entrepreneurs in Expo 2017 organized by Nigeria private sector federation, the study will give recommendations and solutions to some problems hindering the development of women entrepreneurship.

1.6       Scope of the study

The study focuses on women entrepreneurs in Dutse Local Government, examining their contributions to income generation, job creation, poverty reduction, and economic growth. It covers small-scale trading, manufacturing, agriculture, and services, analyzing the impact of government policies, training, and financing over the past five years.

1.7 Limitation of the study

The research is limited to Dutse, making the findings less generalizable to other areas. Time, resources, and respondent willingness may restrict data collection, and reliance on self-reported information could introduce bias

1.8  Organization of the study

The study is composed of five main chapters

Chapter one is the General introduction of the study, with a brief description of the background to the study followed by the statement of the problem, Research objectives, Research Questions, Research hypothesis, significance of the study, scope of the study and finally the organization of the research.

Chapter two is the literature review it provides the background and context for the research problem. It should establish the need for the research and indicate that the writer is knowledgeable about the area.

Chapter three is the methodology adopted in the study. It contains area and scope of the study, study population, sample, sample size and selection of respondents, sources of data, data collection and entry methods.

Chapter four analyses and interpretation of the findings this chapter will deal with research findings and interpretations of results.

Chapter five conclusion and recommendations.

1.9 Abstract

Women entrepreneurship plays a vital role in driving economic growth, reducing poverty, and promoting sustainable development in Nigeria. This study analyzes the effect of women entrepreneur development on economic development in Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State. The research investigates the contributions of women-owned businesses in sectors such as small-scale trading, agriculture, manufacturing, and services, while examining their influence on employment generation, income improvement, and community development. Primary data were obtained through structured questionnaires and interviews with selected women entrepreneurs, alongside secondary data from government reports and relevant literature. The findings reveal that women entrepreneurs in Dutse significantly contribute to the local economy, yet they face challenges such as limited access to credit facilities, inadequate business training, poor infrastructure, and socio-cultural barriers. The study concludes that enhancing women entrepreneur development through targeted government support, accessible financing, and capacity-building programs will strengthen their role in fostering economic growth. Recommendations include improving financial inclusion, expanding entrepreneurial training, and implementing supportive policies tailored to the needs of women entrepreneurs in Dutse