Rural Women Participation in Small Ruminant Enterprise in the Middle Belt Region of Nigeria.

Abstract

Small ruminant enterprise is a major source of income for women in the rural areas especially in the middle belt region of Nigeria. However, there seems to be a dearth of research on this hence this study aims to identify the factors and parameters that influence women's involvement in sheep and goat enterprise. A quantitative approach with a descriptive survey research design was employed. The simple random sampling technique was used to select respondents from the three clusters. A five-scale Likert scale questionnaire was used to elicit information from 480 respondents with a total number of 3159 goats and 1145 sheep. Personal observation and oral interviews were used to acquire relevant information needed to complement the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze and present the findings. The study revealed that the majority of the animals kept were for economic purposes, mainly for sustenance and savings. It is therefore important to strengthen the capacity and productivity of women engaged in small ruminant enterprises to improve productivity and consequently their standard of living. This study would enable policymakers and planners to strengthen the capacity and productivity of women engaged in small ruminant enterprises and improves their standard of living.