Aug 25
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NIGERIAN WOMEN AGRO-ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 in Women's Issues
Introduction
Suleiman (2006) tangible entrepreneurship as “the eagerness as great as capability of an particular to find for investment opportunities to settle as great as run an craving successfully” whilst Drucker noticed an businessman as the chairman who perceives blurb operation opportunities as great as takes worth of the wanting resources as great as uses them profitably. Entrepreneurs have been pursuit creators and/or turn self-employed rsther than than seekers of jobs in an overstretched open service. Using USA standard, the woman-owned craving is the tiny craving which is during slightest 51% owned, managed as great as operated by the single or some-more women.
A small-scale tillage is the plantation land determined upon the land area of not reduction than 5 hectares. In Nigeria, most of the small-scale tillage enterprises have been owned by men. This does not indicate which Nigerian women agriculturists have been not fervent of expanding their businesses due to so most hurdles which extent upon gender issues, mercantile or socio-cultural barriers as great as supervision unlucky policies. This paper, the quite detailed research, employs delegate interpretation to teach upon the issues as great as hurdles opposed the enlargement of the Nigerian women to full blown agro- entrepreneurs for inhabitant mercantile advancement. The rest of the contention in this paper is orderly along the following issues;
· Women’s potentials in entrepreneurial skills.
· Why women entrepreneurship development?
· Policy Framework for Women Entrepreneurship Development.
· Challenges faced by women agro-entrepreneurs.
· Strategies for enlargement of women agro-entrepreneurs.
· Conclusion.
Women’s Potentials in Entrepreneurial Skills
Women in ubiquitous have been of course enclosed with the little well-developed abilities, which if scrupulously harnessed for entrepreneurship purpose, could outcome in sure as great as enviable results. Women by nature;
v Have beautiful abilities
v Are sanctified with capability to endure as great as aspire to their desires
v Are great as great as studious nurtures of children, as great as this persistence is customarily eliminated in to business
v Are great innovators
v Have capability to rise passion for what they hold in
Waton (undated) cited in Okara (2005) identified the simple charge of an businessman to include: hardwork, teamwork, commitment, appreciation, listening, tall expectations, sourroundings practicable goals. Women, by inlet as great as bearing to family relationships, retain most of these qualities which have been necessary as great as can be lengthened for entrepreneurial success.
Why Women Entrepreneurship Development?
Many researchers have shown which misery is the ailment which incapacitates the plant economically as great as in the roundabout way theme him/her to the state of destitution, voicelessness, powerlessness as great as even assault (World Bank 2000; Okojie, 2002) Unfortunately, the most influenced sex by the upon tip of incapacitation have been women as great as children. Statistics uncover which women have been poorer than men. The UNDP (1995) estimated that, about 60% of the world-poors, have been women. Women have been poorer given they have been some-more unprotected economically.
The commentary of Thane (1978), Showalter (1987) as great as Lewis as great as Piachered (1987) cited in Magaji (2004) showed which women have been the bad sex via the 20th Century as great as have shaped the estimable infancy of the bad given misery was initial recognized. On since women have been the lowest sex, the earthy strength of women as great as assorted hurdles extent them to specific soothing duties creation it formidable to be enterprising. Entrepreneurship enlargement to illustrate is the consequential apparatus for women’s mercantile empowerment.
The benefits derivable from lenient the women folk have been distant reaching, starting with family enrichment as great as in the future in contact with upon the inhabitant as great as tellurian mercantile advancement. According to the Nigerian Minister of Women Affairs as great as Social Development, Hajiya H. S. Bungudu, the ultimate Nigerian census suggested which women consecrate 49.9% of the nation’s population; the underrepresentation of women (2%) in the nation’s enlargement processes in finance, blurb operation as great as investment fronts renders 40% of the race insufficiently positioned to minister to the mercantile enlargement of the country. It is the republic which blends the strengths of women as great as group which will lead the universe in enlargement (Kiyosaki 1993) in the margin of cultivation as great as alternative sectors.
Entrepreneurship or investing is not an disdainful haven of any gender. Both women as great as group beget the same outcome supposing they follow the beliefs of investment. Kiyosaki (1993) proves with statistical interpretation in United States, which women have been softened investors than men. A year 2000 National Association of Investors Corporation (NAIC) investigate found which women-only clubs completed normal annual gain of 32% given 1951 contra 23% for men-only investment clubs. The outcome is; women know how to hoop income as great as can be larger entrepreneurs than group if the assorted obstacles to enlargement is private or minimized.
Policy Framework for Women Entrepreneurship Development
There have been conjunction policies nor strategies for entrepreneurship enlargement which is privately tailored to women (Olutunla, 2008). The Nigerian government’s routine of constrained entrepreneurship antiquated behind to the early 1970s. The idea of constrained tiny scale enterprises to kindle entrepreneurship was documented in the 2nd National Development Plan (1970-74). This routine the single after another in the 3rd (1975-80) as great as the 4th National Development Plan by assorted strategies of technical, monetary as great as supervision of the tiny scale industries. The Federal Government’s regard for the ominous complaint of mass stagnation in the mid-1980s spurred the sourroundings up of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in 1986 as great as the Work For Yourself Programme (WFYP) in 1987. Both were radically corner programmes of precision as great as monetary await to entrepreneurs. The NDE operations enclosed 3 core programmes (i) Youth Employment as great as Vocational Skills Development Program (YEVSDP) (ii) tillage programs (iii) the tiny scale industries as great as connoisseur practice scheme. The NDE, yet carnivorous of account for the little time, has completed the lot in constrained employment, emanate resources as great as alleviating women poverty. The Better Life for Rural Women Programme (BLRWP) beginning of the initial lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Maryam Babangida, was an entrepreneurship enlargement programme privately for constrained education, illness as great as mercantile enlargement of women. It finished rare accede to to women by the mild organizations. The suggestion of BLRWP is still handling currently by the successive initial ladies. A series of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) additionally came up to foster entrepreneurship development. Prominent amongst them was the Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN) which contributed immensely towards women entrepreneurship enlargement by classification of most cooperatives as great as micro-credit schemes as great as in partnership with the United Nations.
The Role of Women in Agriculture
A poignant volume of work has been carried out in office building countries upon the intensity of women in boosting food production. Boserup (1970) described Black Africa as the segment of womanlike tillage standard excellence. FAO (1982) estimated which the tillage women minister two-third of all the time which is put in to normal cultivation in Africa. Accat (1983) additionally forked out which 80% of African women have been intent in agriculture. Patel as great as Antonio (1973) reported which 95% of the Yoruba women of the Southwestern Nigeria have been intent in plantation works, flourishing yams, maize, tobacco as great as cassava, ornithology as great as fish farming. They additionally experience in brush clearing, land credentials as great as weeding. In serve to their purpose in production, they have been actively intent in harvesting, estimate as great as selling of plantation produce. The appearance of Igbo group in nonfarm activities as great as waged practice has resulted in an augmenting bid for women in food stand prolongation as great as the relapse of the gender multiplication of work in agriculture. Igbo women right away commence the little of the required masculine tillage tasks in serve to those in the womanlike domain (Ezumah as great as Di Domenico, 1995). The rule of women in the small-scale fisheries post-harvest activities: micro-fish retailing, fish processing, fish placement as great as marketing, have women the vital players in the socio-economic enlargement of the West African countries.
Despite women’s endless as great as sundry appearance in agriculture, they go upon to have reduction entrance to credit as great as complicated cultivation inputs. Consequently, their plantation functions is labor-intensive, yields scanty mercantile gain (Buvinie as great as Mehra, 1990) as great as work mostly during keep level. International Labour Organization (ILO 2003) quoted in Akpera as great as Sunday (2008) reported which Nigerian as great as African women entrepreneurs in ubiquitous have been in the micro craving zone as great as roughly invisible in the tiny as great as middle craving categories.
The Challenges of Nigerian Women Agro-Entrepreneurs
Some of the most obstacles which impede women craving development, agribusiness enlargement as great as softened income gain include;
1) Finance
The biggest plea for Nigerian women in agribusiness is miss of finance. Women in agribusiness need estimable monetary both for start-up as great as expansion. Finance could be in form of equity or from outmost sources. Equity from spontaneous sources includes personal savings, friends as great as relatives, normal (esusu), veteran as great as age-group associations as great as grave associated societies.
External monetary is majorly from banks (specialized, development, commercial, etc), supervision agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), general donors, etc. Entrepreneurs have been coming to provide, in the little cases, 25% of account practical for and/or furnish collaterals prior to accessing these outmost finances. It has been formidable for women to lift equity for own blurb operation given most women meddlesome or intent in tillage consequence low income. Many of the blurb or enlargement banks have been demure to accede to tillage loans due in all to the tall tillage risk cause or given they do not have fit assessors as in the box of fish farming. The tall seductiveness rate charged as great as the direct for element of landed skill or alternative resources additionally devalue the issue.
Currently, the Microfinance banks (MFB) have been the government’s ultimate vital organ of routine for entrepreneurship monetary in Nigeria. In an ongoing investigate conducted recently, it was detected which masculine to womanlike concentration as great as capitulation by MFB have been in the comparative measure 65% to 35%. This lack of harmony was associated to women entrepreneurs coming banks upon an particular basement as great as miss of soundly created blurb operation devise and/or feasibility studies (Olutunla, 2008).
2) Manpower as great as Education
The total blurb operation be- it tillage or any other, revolves around the businessman (visionary) as she combines all alternative human, monetary as great as element resources to emanate an craving of value. The arch senior manager of the blurb operation outfit contingency be associating to effectively muster resources to advantage. Agribusiness during tiny or middle scale is rarely professional, technologically driven as great as need the little turn of education. Education not usually provides simple believe as great as skills to urge illness as great as Iivelihood, though it empowers women to take their legitimate place in multitude as great as the enlargement routine (Fasokun 2000).
Entrepreneurial credentials seems to be the vital pass routine to foster entrepreneurship enlargement for women in Nigeria. Entrepreneurship credentials should be inculcated in to propagandize curriculum during all levels. Research indicates which Small as great as Medium Enterprise Industrial Empowerment Scheme (SMEIES) operators ranked the reasons for disaster of entrepreneurs’ concentration for loans as great as came up with reasons which operation from bad feasibility studies, bad supervision skills, miss of correct accounting, bad impression checks as great as attitudes in between others. All these have been hurdles which can be remedied by entrepreneurship education. Even as the 93 authorized Nigerian universities have adopted entrepreneurial studies, supports as great as the default of teachers to sight the students has remained an obstacle.
A series of stream precision centers/programs have been urban-based, for example, the Industrial Development Centers determined in the 1960s have been urban-based. Small Medium Entrepreneurial Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) directed during facilitating credit, record markets, genius building, precision as great as technical await for SMEs as great as yield competent linkage with women bodies is urban-based as great as carnivorous of funds. Agribusiness is rural-based as great as softened rebuilt farmers have been some-more expected to adopt brand brand new technologies as great as have entrance to credit as great as prolongation services (Adereti, 2000).
3) Technology
Many women, due to miss of bearing as great as monetary limitations, still have have have use of of of aged record in farming, estimate as great as refuge to illustrate heading to grind as great as low output.
4) Cultural Restrictions/Weak Land Rights:
The Nigerian enlightenment cannot be described as being gender friendly. For example, the “Kule” routine in the North where tied together women have been banned from starting out of the residence in illumination for blurb operation is an initiative/development-killer routine which should be disheartened in this 21st Century. In Sub-Saharan Africa, together with Nigeria, where women have budding shortcoming for food production, they have been in all singular to user rights to land as great as theme to the agree of the masculine relations (FAO, 1982). Culture as great as amicable practices distinguish opposite women to be craving successors/inheritors or own eccentric resources which could simply offer as collaterals. Such unsymmetrical land rights have been reflected in the not as big land sizes of women farmers to illustrate tying them economically.
5) Lack of Equipment as great as Appropriate Technology
Despite women’s endless as great as sundry appearance in agriculture, they go upon to have reduction entrance to complicated cultivation inputs. Consequently, women agro-entrepreneurs work underneath really formidable as great as formidable conditions, regulating wanton normal technology. Technology is closely associated to monetary as great as education. Nigerian women entrepreneurs, generally in agriculture, work underneath really formidable as great as formidable conditions, regulating wanton normal technology. There is obligatory need for sustenance of modern, price in effect as great as affordable technologies for the have have use of of of women.
Moreover, the little brand brand new record has mostly been inapt to women’s needs. There is the need to conclude the little priority actions to foster the purpose of women in the manage to buy given it has been showed which women have been prolific as great as fit when they have entrance to the right technologies as great as opportunities.
6) Erroneous Ideas about Women as great as Credit
There have been sure misconceptions about women in apply oneself to credit which have finished them to sojourn bad as great as singular their entrepreneurial prospects. One of such misconceptions is which bad women have bad credit risks. This is being valid wrong as Olutunla (2008) reported which Nigerian women have been found to be some-more true in conditions of loan amends to Banks than men.
7) Entrepreneurial Attitude
According to Akpa (2007), an normal businessman is imperishable as great as aggressive. These have been usual attributes of group whilst most women have been of the peaceful as great as kind disposition. Men lend towards to concentration upon gettingthe pursuit finished whilst women lend towards to concentration upon being some-more thorough as great as relational. If the lady businessman is to succeed, she contingency adopt the little turn of ruggedness as great as aggressiveness. Success is not gender-friendly.
8) Research as great as Extension Services
For the prolonged time, agronomic researchers do not compensate courtesy to the purpose of women in the tillage system. Research in to the activities of women in cultivation is gaining courtesy usually recently. A consult in Ogun State, Nigeria (Elabor-Idemudia, 1991) as great as Osun State, Nigeria (Ogbimi as great as Williams, 1999) suggested which Extension Agents visited in between 7-10% of women farmers each week compared to 70% of the masculine farmers who perceived weekly visits. An FAO (1989) investigate found supervision investment upon cultivation represented reduction than half the sector’s accede to to inhabitant income, therefore, it is in accord with to theory which women’s entrance to prolongation services as great as precision generally in the area of fish farming, processing, packaging, placement as great as selling have been doubtful to urge when the altogether appropriation as great as accessibility of services is declining.
9) Misplaced Focus
Many tillage projects as great as programs have been not matched to the special resources of women or might not strech women during all, to illustrate truncating the dictated bid to enlarge food production.
10) Market as great as Marketing
Due to miss of great roads in Nigeria, electricity, bad entrance to report as great as bad networking, most plantation furnish decay to illustrate troublesome women farmers.
Strategies for Women Agro-Entrepreneurship Development
· The interrelated routine issues in entrepreneurship credentials should embody augmenting women enrolment in schools during all levels generally in the margin of cultivation to revoke gender inequality. Budgetary grant should be finished to house some-more stability as great as vocational education.
· More seminars/workshops should be sponsored as great as lengthened to tillage areas to enlarge women’s genius to begin as great as grow their agribusiness, hope for receptive to advice blurb operation plan/feasibility studies as great as enlarge their technical as great as managerial genius in agribusiness.
· Modern estimate plants/storage comforts should be commissioned for women groups upon government/private corner partnership basement so which women can routine as great as store their plantation furnish with ease.
· The enabling sourroundings in conditions of gender-friendly policies, great roads, pipe-borne H2O as great as physical phenomenon should be supposing by the assorted arms of government.
· Cooperatives as great as women groups should be some-more rigourously instituted as great as speedy in between women to upon all sides them strategically to entrance account as great as alternative inputs with ease.
· The Government should charge the blurb Banks to furnish some-more gender-friendly loan packages (low seductiveness rates as great as some-more loose generation of repayment).
· Women should be unprotected to the ultimate agro-technology from time to time to mislay grind in farming, estimate as great as refuge techniques.
· Nigerian women should be speedy to network more, both during the inhabitant as great as general levels for some-more exposure, to entrance account as great as trade information.
· Agro-extension institutions should be increased as great as some-more women prolongation agents be lerned to revoke women to prolongation workers comparative measure as great as for wider coverage of women agriculturists.
Conclusion
Nigeria’s prophesy of apropos the single of the tip twenty heading economies of the universe by the year 2020, differently well known simply as prophesy 20:20 appears constrained sufficient to vitalise the over 150 million people (nearly half of which have been women) to have the prophesy the reality. To get ahead this commendable goal, there is obligatory need to compensate courtesy to the enlargement of agro-women entrepreneurs so which they can take their place in family enrichment as great as inhabitant mercantile development. The supervision as great as development/change agencies contingency not usually be rebuilt to commend the mercantile purpose of the women though contingency additionally magnify to them the same approval as great as comforts as the group have been enjoying.
REFERENCES
Accat, E.C. (1983): “Women’s Role in Horticultural Production in Developing Countries” A Paper presented during F.A.O. Expert Consultation upon Women in Food Production. Rome, Italy. 7-14 December, pp. 3-7.
Adereti F.O. (2000): Poverty Alleviating Strategies for Rural Women in Osun State. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, University of Ibadan , pp.36-37.
Akpa A. (2007): Challenges of the Nigerian businessman in the twenty-first century. A paper presented during the lass Annual College of Management Sciences Seminar, University of Mkar. 10p
Akpera D.M. as great as Sunday M. (2008): Strategies for the enlargement of entrepreneurs in Nigeria. A paper presented during the 3-day International seminar upon “Promoting Entrepreneurship Education Among Nigeria women: Issues as great as Approaches” Abuja 12p
Boserup, E. (1970): Women’s Role in Economic Development. St. Martino Press New York, George Allen as great as Unwin Ltd.
Buvinie, M. as great as Mehra, R. (1990): Women in Agriculture: What Development can do. ICRW (International Centre for Research upon Women) Pp. 3-5.
Elabor-Idemudia, P. (1991): Impact of Structural Adjustment Programs upon Women as great as their Household
in Bendel as great as Ogun States, Nigeria. In: Structural Adjustment as great as West African Women Farmers, Christina H. Gladwin (ed.), Gainesville, University of Florida, p128-150
Ezumah N. N. as great as Di Domenico C. M. (1995):Enhancing the purpose of women in stand production: A box investigate of Igbo women in Nigeria. World Development, 23(10), p1731-1744.
References as great as serve celebration of the mass might be accessible for this article. To perspective references as great as serve celebration of the mass we contingency squeeze this article.
Fasokun, T.O. (200-): The purpose of credentials in misery eradication. In “Education for the Millennium Development” Vol.1 Eds; M. Boucouvalas as great as R. Aderinoye. Spectrum Books Ltd., Ibadan pg.459-475
Food as great as Agricultural Organization (1982): Role of Women in Agricultural Production. FAO, Rome pg.5
Food as great as Agricultural Organization (1989): Effects of Stabilization as great as Structural Adjustment
Programmes upon Food Security. Committee upon World Food Security, Fourteenth Session, Rome, Italy, 3-7 Apr 1987.
Kiyosaki, T.R. (1993):If we wish to be Rich as great as Happy, Don’t Go to School (Fair field: Aslan publishing)
Ogbimi G. E. as great as as great as Williams S. B. (1999): Gender Sensitivity as great as Marginalized Group: Assessment
of Availability of Productive Assets to Women in Agricultural Development. Unpublished Paper. 14p.
Okojie, C.E.E. (2002): “Globalization as great as the Women’s Enterprises; Opportunity as great as Challenges”. UNIFEM Women Entrepreneurs Forum. Lagos
Olutunla G.T. (2008): Policy Framework as great as Strategy for Entrepreneurship Development of Nigerian Women. A paper presented during the 3-day International seminar upon “Promoting Entrepreneurship Education Amongst Nigerian Women: Issues as great as Approaches” Abuja. 15p
Magaji, S. (2004): “Introduction to Project Evaluation”. Sanitex Press. Abuja
Patel, A.U. as great as Anthonio, Q.B.O. (1973): “Farmers’ Wives in Agricultural Development: The Nigerian Case” Paper presented during XV International Congress of Agricultural Economists. Aug 20-29, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Suleiman, A.S. (2006): The Business Entrepreneur; Entrepreneurial Development, Small as great as Medium Enterprises, 2nd Edition, Entrepreneurship Academy Publishing, Kaduna.
World Bank (2000): “Nigeria during the glance”. The World Bank, Washington D.C
Suleiman (2006) tangible entrepreneurship as “the eagerness as great as capability of an particular to find for investment opportunities to settle as great as run an craving successfully” whilst Drucker noticed an businessman as the chairman who perceives blurb operation opportunities as great as takes worth of the wanting resources as great as uses them profitably. Entrepreneurs have been pursuit creators and/or turn self-employed rsther than than seekers of jobs in an overstretched open service. Using USA standard, the woman-owned craving is the tiny craving which is during slightest 51% owned, managed as great as operated by the single or some-more women.
A small-scale tillage is the plantation land determined upon the land area of not reduction than 5 hectares. In Nigeria, most of the small-scale tillage enterprises have been owned by men. This does not indicate which Nigerian women agriculturists have been not fervent of expanding their businesses due to so most hurdles which extent upon gender issues, mercantile or socio-cultural barriers as great as supervision unlucky policies. This paper, the quite detailed research, employs delegate interpretation to teach upon the issues as great as hurdles opposed the enlargement of the Nigerian women to full blown agro- entrepreneurs for inhabitant mercantile advancement. The rest of the contention in this paper is orderly along the following issues;
· Women’s potentials in entrepreneurial skills.
· Why women entrepreneurship development?
· Policy Framework for Women Entrepreneurship Development.
· Challenges faced by women agro-entrepreneurs.
· Strategies for enlargement of women agro-entrepreneurs.
· Conclusion.
Women’s Potentials in Entrepreneurial Skills
Women in ubiquitous have been of course enclosed with the little well-developed abilities, which if scrupulously harnessed for entrepreneurship purpose, could outcome in sure as great as enviable results. Women by nature;
v Have beautiful abilities
v Are sanctified with capability to endure as great as aspire to their desires
v Are great as great as studious nurtures of children, as great as this persistence is customarily eliminated in to business
v Are great innovators
v Have capability to rise passion for what they hold in
Waton (undated) cited in Okara (2005) identified the simple charge of an businessman to include: hardwork, teamwork, commitment, appreciation, listening, tall expectations, sourroundings practicable goals. Women, by inlet as great as bearing to family relationships, retain most of these qualities which have been necessary as great as can be lengthened for entrepreneurial success.
Why Women Entrepreneurship Development?
Many researchers have shown which misery is the ailment which incapacitates the plant economically as great as in the roundabout way theme him/her to the state of destitution, voicelessness, powerlessness as great as even assault (World Bank 2000; Okojie, 2002) Unfortunately, the most influenced sex by the upon tip of incapacitation have been women as great as children. Statistics uncover which women have been poorer than men. The UNDP (1995) estimated that, about 60% of the world-poors, have been women. Women have been poorer given they have been some-more unprotected economically.
The commentary of Thane (1978), Showalter (1987) as great as Lewis as great as Piachered (1987) cited in Magaji (2004) showed which women have been the bad sex via the 20th Century as great as have shaped the estimable infancy of the bad given misery was initial recognized. On since women have been the lowest sex, the earthy strength of women as great as assorted hurdles extent them to specific soothing duties creation it formidable to be enterprising. Entrepreneurship enlargement to illustrate is the consequential apparatus for women’s mercantile empowerment.
The benefits derivable from lenient the women folk have been distant reaching, starting with family enrichment as great as in the future in contact with upon the inhabitant as great as tellurian mercantile advancement. According to the Nigerian Minister of Women Affairs as great as Social Development, Hajiya H. S. Bungudu, the ultimate Nigerian census suggested which women consecrate 49.9% of the nation’s population; the underrepresentation of women (2%) in the nation’s enlargement processes in finance, blurb operation as great as investment fronts renders 40% of the race insufficiently positioned to minister to the mercantile enlargement of the country. It is the republic which blends the strengths of women as great as group which will lead the universe in enlargement (Kiyosaki 1993) in the margin of cultivation as great as alternative sectors.
Entrepreneurship or investing is not an disdainful haven of any gender. Both women as great as group beget the same outcome supposing they follow the beliefs of investment. Kiyosaki (1993) proves with statistical interpretation in United States, which women have been softened investors than men. A year 2000 National Association of Investors Corporation (NAIC) investigate found which women-only clubs completed normal annual gain of 32% given 1951 contra 23% for men-only investment clubs. The outcome is; women know how to hoop income as great as can be larger entrepreneurs than group if the assorted obstacles to enlargement is private or minimized.
Policy Framework for Women Entrepreneurship Development
There have been conjunction policies nor strategies for entrepreneurship enlargement which is privately tailored to women (Olutunla, 2008). The Nigerian government’s routine of constrained entrepreneurship antiquated behind to the early 1970s. The idea of constrained tiny scale enterprises to kindle entrepreneurship was documented in the 2nd National Development Plan (1970-74). This routine the single after another in the 3rd (1975-80) as great as the 4th National Development Plan by assorted strategies of technical, monetary as great as supervision of the tiny scale industries. The Federal Government’s regard for the ominous complaint of mass stagnation in the mid-1980s spurred the sourroundings up of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in 1986 as great as the Work For Yourself Programme (WFYP) in 1987. Both were radically corner programmes of precision as great as monetary await to entrepreneurs. The NDE operations enclosed 3 core programmes (i) Youth Employment as great as Vocational Skills Development Program (YEVSDP) (ii) tillage programs (iii) the tiny scale industries as great as connoisseur practice scheme. The NDE, yet carnivorous of account for the little time, has completed the lot in constrained employment, emanate resources as great as alleviating women poverty. The Better Life for Rural Women Programme (BLRWP) beginning of the initial lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Maryam Babangida, was an entrepreneurship enlargement programme privately for constrained education, illness as great as mercantile enlargement of women. It finished rare accede to to women by the mild organizations. The suggestion of BLRWP is still handling currently by the successive initial ladies. A series of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) additionally came up to foster entrepreneurship development. Prominent amongst them was the Country Women Association of Nigeria (COWAN) which contributed immensely towards women entrepreneurship enlargement by classification of most cooperatives as great as micro-credit schemes as great as in partnership with the United Nations.
The Role of Women in Agriculture
A poignant volume of work has been carried out in office building countries upon the intensity of women in boosting food production. Boserup (1970) described Black Africa as the segment of womanlike tillage standard excellence. FAO (1982) estimated which the tillage women minister two-third of all the time which is put in to normal cultivation in Africa. Accat (1983) additionally forked out which 80% of African women have been intent in agriculture. Patel as great as Antonio (1973) reported which 95% of the Yoruba women of the Southwestern Nigeria have been intent in plantation works, flourishing yams, maize, tobacco as great as cassava, ornithology as great as fish farming. They additionally experience in brush clearing, land credentials as great as weeding. In serve to their purpose in production, they have been actively intent in harvesting, estimate as great as selling of plantation produce. The appearance of Igbo group in nonfarm activities as great as waged practice has resulted in an augmenting bid for women in food stand prolongation as great as the relapse of the gender multiplication of work in agriculture. Igbo women right away commence the little of the required masculine tillage tasks in serve to those in the womanlike domain (Ezumah as great as Di Domenico, 1995). The rule of women in the small-scale fisheries post-harvest activities: micro-fish retailing, fish processing, fish placement as great as marketing, have women the vital players in the socio-economic enlargement of the West African countries.
Despite women’s endless as great as sundry appearance in agriculture, they go upon to have reduction entrance to credit as great as complicated cultivation inputs. Consequently, their plantation functions is labor-intensive, yields scanty mercantile gain (Buvinie as great as Mehra, 1990) as great as work mostly during keep level. International Labour Organization (ILO 2003) quoted in Akpera as great as Sunday (2008) reported which Nigerian as great as African women entrepreneurs in ubiquitous have been in the micro craving zone as great as roughly invisible in the tiny as great as middle craving categories.
The Challenges of Nigerian Women Agro-Entrepreneurs
Some of the most obstacles which impede women craving development, agribusiness enlargement as great as softened income gain include;
1) Finance
The biggest plea for Nigerian women in agribusiness is miss of finance. Women in agribusiness need estimable monetary both for start-up as great as expansion. Finance could be in form of equity or from outmost sources. Equity from spontaneous sources includes personal savings, friends as great as relatives, normal (esusu), veteran as great as age-group associations as great as grave associated societies.
External monetary is majorly from banks (specialized, development, commercial, etc), supervision agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), general donors, etc. Entrepreneurs have been coming to provide, in the little cases, 25% of account practical for and/or furnish collaterals prior to accessing these outmost finances. It has been formidable for women to lift equity for own blurb operation given most women meddlesome or intent in tillage consequence low income. Many of the blurb or enlargement banks have been demure to accede to tillage loans due in all to the tall tillage risk cause or given they do not have fit assessors as in the box of fish farming. The tall seductiveness rate charged as great as the direct for element of landed skill or alternative resources additionally devalue the issue.
Currently, the Microfinance banks (MFB) have been the government’s ultimate vital organ of routine for entrepreneurship monetary in Nigeria. In an ongoing investigate conducted recently, it was detected which masculine to womanlike concentration as great as capitulation by MFB have been in the comparative measure 65% to 35%. This lack of harmony was associated to women entrepreneurs coming banks upon an particular basement as great as miss of soundly created blurb operation devise and/or feasibility studies (Olutunla, 2008).
2) Manpower as great as Education
The total blurb operation be- it tillage or any other, revolves around the businessman (visionary) as she combines all alternative human, monetary as great as element resources to emanate an craving of value. The arch senior manager of the blurb operation outfit contingency be associating to effectively muster resources to advantage. Agribusiness during tiny or middle scale is rarely professional, technologically driven as great as need the little turn of education. Education not usually provides simple believe as great as skills to urge illness as great as Iivelihood, though it empowers women to take their legitimate place in multitude as great as the enlargement routine (Fasokun 2000).
Entrepreneurial credentials seems to be the vital pass routine to foster entrepreneurship enlargement for women in Nigeria. Entrepreneurship credentials should be inculcated in to propagandize curriculum during all levels. Research indicates which Small as great as Medium Enterprise Industrial Empowerment Scheme (SMEIES) operators ranked the reasons for disaster of entrepreneurs’ concentration for loans as great as came up with reasons which operation from bad feasibility studies, bad supervision skills, miss of correct accounting, bad impression checks as great as attitudes in between others. All these have been hurdles which can be remedied by entrepreneurship education. Even as the 93 authorized Nigerian universities have adopted entrepreneurial studies, supports as great as the default of teachers to sight the students has remained an obstacle.
A series of stream precision centers/programs have been urban-based, for example, the Industrial Development Centers determined in the 1960s have been urban-based. Small Medium Entrepreneurial Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) directed during facilitating credit, record markets, genius building, precision as great as technical await for SMEs as great as yield competent linkage with women bodies is urban-based as great as carnivorous of funds. Agribusiness is rural-based as great as softened rebuilt farmers have been some-more expected to adopt brand brand new technologies as great as have entrance to credit as great as prolongation services (Adereti, 2000).
3) Technology
Many women, due to miss of bearing as great as monetary limitations, still have have have use of of of aged record in farming, estimate as great as refuge to illustrate heading to grind as great as low output.
4) Cultural Restrictions/Weak Land Rights:
The Nigerian enlightenment cannot be described as being gender friendly. For example, the “Kule” routine in the North where tied together women have been banned from starting out of the residence in illumination for blurb operation is an initiative/development-killer routine which should be disheartened in this 21st Century. In Sub-Saharan Africa, together with Nigeria, where women have budding shortcoming for food production, they have been in all singular to user rights to land as great as theme to the agree of the masculine relations (FAO, 1982). Culture as great as amicable practices distinguish opposite women to be craving successors/inheritors or own eccentric resources which could simply offer as collaterals. Such unsymmetrical land rights have been reflected in the not as big land sizes of women farmers to illustrate tying them economically.
5) Lack of Equipment as great as Appropriate Technology
Despite women’s endless as great as sundry appearance in agriculture, they go upon to have reduction entrance to complicated cultivation inputs. Consequently, women agro-entrepreneurs work underneath really formidable as great as formidable conditions, regulating wanton normal technology. Technology is closely associated to monetary as great as education. Nigerian women entrepreneurs, generally in agriculture, work underneath really formidable as great as formidable conditions, regulating wanton normal technology. There is obligatory need for sustenance of modern, price in effect as great as affordable technologies for the have have use of of of women.
Moreover, the little brand brand new record has mostly been inapt to women’s needs. There is the need to conclude the little priority actions to foster the purpose of women in the manage to buy given it has been showed which women have been prolific as great as fit when they have entrance to the right technologies as great as opportunities.
6) Erroneous Ideas about Women as great as Credit
There have been sure misconceptions about women in apply oneself to credit which have finished them to sojourn bad as great as singular their entrepreneurial prospects. One of such misconceptions is which bad women have bad credit risks. This is being valid wrong as Olutunla (2008) reported which Nigerian women have been found to be some-more true in conditions of loan amends to Banks than men.
7) Entrepreneurial Attitude
According to Akpa (2007), an normal businessman is imperishable as great as aggressive. These have been usual attributes of group whilst most women have been of the peaceful as great as kind disposition. Men lend towards to concentration upon gettingthe pursuit finished whilst women lend towards to concentration upon being some-more thorough as great as relational. If the lady businessman is to succeed, she contingency adopt the little turn of ruggedness as great as aggressiveness. Success is not gender-friendly.
8) Research as great as Extension Services
For the prolonged time, agronomic researchers do not compensate courtesy to the purpose of women in the tillage system. Research in to the activities of women in cultivation is gaining courtesy usually recently. A consult in Ogun State, Nigeria (Elabor-Idemudia, 1991) as great as Osun State, Nigeria (Ogbimi as great as Williams, 1999) suggested which Extension Agents visited in between 7-10% of women farmers each week compared to 70% of the masculine farmers who perceived weekly visits. An FAO (1989) investigate found supervision investment upon cultivation represented reduction than half the sector’s accede to to inhabitant income, therefore, it is in accord with to theory which women’s entrance to prolongation services as great as precision generally in the area of fish farming, processing, packaging, placement as great as selling have been doubtful to urge when the altogether appropriation as great as accessibility of services is declining.
9) Misplaced Focus
Many tillage projects as great as programs have been not matched to the special resources of women or might not strech women during all, to illustrate truncating the dictated bid to enlarge food production.
10) Market as great as Marketing
Due to miss of great roads in Nigeria, electricity, bad entrance to report as great as bad networking, most plantation furnish decay to illustrate troublesome women farmers.
Strategies for Women Agro-Entrepreneurship Development
· The interrelated routine issues in entrepreneurship credentials should embody augmenting women enrolment in schools during all levels generally in the margin of cultivation to revoke gender inequality. Budgetary grant should be finished to house some-more stability as great as vocational education.
· More seminars/workshops should be sponsored as great as lengthened to tillage areas to enlarge women’s genius to begin as great as grow their agribusiness, hope for receptive to advice blurb operation plan/feasibility studies as great as enlarge their technical as great as managerial genius in agribusiness.
· Modern estimate plants/storage comforts should be commissioned for women groups upon government/private corner partnership basement so which women can routine as great as store their plantation furnish with ease.
· The enabling sourroundings in conditions of gender-friendly policies, great roads, pipe-borne H2O as great as physical phenomenon should be supposing by the assorted arms of government.
· Cooperatives as great as women groups should be some-more rigourously instituted as great as speedy in between women to upon all sides them strategically to entrance account as great as alternative inputs with ease.
· The Government should charge the blurb Banks to furnish some-more gender-friendly loan packages (low seductiveness rates as great as some-more loose generation of repayment).
· Women should be unprotected to the ultimate agro-technology from time to time to mislay grind in farming, estimate as great as refuge techniques.
· Nigerian women should be speedy to network more, both during the inhabitant as great as general levels for some-more exposure, to entrance account as great as trade information.
· Agro-extension institutions should be increased as great as some-more women prolongation agents be lerned to revoke women to prolongation workers comparative measure as great as for wider coverage of women agriculturists.
Conclusion
Nigeria’s prophesy of apropos the single of the tip twenty heading economies of the universe by the year 2020, differently well known simply as prophesy 20:20 appears constrained sufficient to vitalise the over 150 million people (nearly half of which have been women) to have the prophesy the reality. To get ahead this commendable goal, there is obligatory need to compensate courtesy to the enlargement of agro-women entrepreneurs so which they can take their place in family enrichment as great as inhabitant mercantile development. The supervision as great as development/change agencies contingency not usually be rebuilt to commend the mercantile purpose of the women though contingency additionally magnify to them the same approval as great as comforts as the group have been enjoying.
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