Less Than 1m Nigerian Women Have Formal Employment – Report

ABUJA - A new report has showed that less than a million women living in Nigeria are in formal employment while 95 per cent are engaged within the informal sector.

Workplace discrimination is also central to understanding women’s economic outcomes. Although women constitute 70 per cent of agricultural labour in Nigeria and produce 90 per cent of food, they are more prone to lower wages due to limited access to land, skills, finance and low adoption of mechanisation.

Additionally, the Labour Act prohibits employers from hiring women for night work in sectors, such as manufacturing, mining, agriculture.

The report titled: ‘Unmasking the Barriers to Women’s Participation in Nigeria’s Labour Market’ published by Jobberman, the single largest job placement website in sub-Saharan Africa, showed a gender parity at the workplace.

For instance, the report revealed that entrepreneurship is increasingly becoming the economic haven for women primarily due to its low barrier to entry.

However, about 51 per cent of women surveyed across Lagos, Kano and Kaduna states indicated that they are more interested in formal work, compared to 12 per cent who are interested in entrepreneurship, the report added.

Other key findings from the report showed that about 70 per cent of employers in Lagos and Kano say domestic responsibility is a major barrier for women in the world of work.

“About 62 per cent of women surveyed across the three states say that having to relocate is an important factor that they consider when looking for work. Of the 56 million registered MSMEs in Nigeria, women account for over 23 million (41 per cent) in terms of ownership,” the report added.