EFFECT OF WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF NORTHERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Women entrepreneurship is synonymous to societal empowerment. The importance of women business leadership on economic growth is grossly underestimated by many despite the fact they create income and jobs, which can help people reduce poverty and gain socioeconomic and political power. However, women in Northern Nigeria despite the endemic poverty challenges have continued to transform the economic and social fabric of the region. This study therefore examines the impact of women business leadership of small and medium scale enterprises on economic development of Northern Nigeria. The researcher employed descriptive survey method and questionnaire was the major instrument of data collection. From a population of 3700 registered women business enterprises, a sample size of three hundred and twenty five (325) respondents was drawn using Taro Yamane’s technique at 5% error of tolerance and 95% level of confidence. Three research questions were posed and same was hypothesized to test their validity. The study utilizes simple regression to analyze the data. Findings revealed that women leadership ventures in Northern Nigeria contributes significantly towards the economic development of the region in the three dimensions of wealth creation, employment generation and poverty reduction. It is thus, recommended that an enabling environment be created by government at all levels in the component states of the region for women entrepreneurship to thrive and ensure job creation. Government at all levels should establish a supporting and favourable environment for women entrepreneurial leadership to thrive because of their population strength as this will ensure wealth creation thereby leading to economic development. This could be done by influencing lending terms of financial institutions in favour of women in business, relaxing socio-cultural barriers to women involvement in entrepreneurship and emplacing favourable tax practices.