Women constitute 52% of Nigeria's working-age population but are underrepresented in employment. In 2023, 78.2% of women participated in the labour force compared to 80.9% of men. Nigerian women are active entrepreneurs due to limited formal job opportunities. However, they face significant barriers in accessing funding and maintaining businesses.

While there was a noticeable increase in budget allocations towards gender-related issues between 2015 and 2020, just 0.28% (₦132.28 billion) of the federal government’s total approved budget of ₦46.65 trillion over six years was allocated to Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) projects.

Despite these challenges, women-led businesses in Nigeria are making significant strides, contributing to the economy but more actions need to be taken to ensure access to capital for women-led businesses in Nigeria.

To know more, download the highlight report here