Low-income women entrepreneurs and household sustainability in badagry; A border community in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Traditionally, the contribution of women to household sustainability was limited to reproduction, raising of children and carrying out domestic chores, while men solely take up the economic responsibilities. Due to changes in the family institution, gender-based roles were becoming blurred as couples tend to share both domestic and economic responsibilities. Although, many studies have been done on women entrepreneurs but little has been done on low-income ones in border communities. This study, therefore, was designed to examine the means by which low-income women entrepreneurs sustain their households and trades in Badagry area of Lagos state, Nigeria. Gender Role Ideology, and Role Resilience Theory provided theoretical orientation while descriptive design was adopted using both qualitative and quantitative methods of research. Agbalata market was purposely selected owing to its size and commercial activities involving both local and cross border women traders. Two hundred and fifty women were selected for the survey, while twenty were selected for in-depth interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS, while interviews were content analysed. However, most women engaged in trade to support their household economically which negatively affected the expansion of their business. Majority of the elderly women engaged in trades to cater for their grandchildren. Family size was a determinant of the sustainability of the business, also engagement of women in multiple trades depending on the season. The study recommends that governmental intervention in terms of loan provision is essential to the survival of low-income women traders in border communities.