THE KEY TO DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: FEMALE EDUCATION

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education is a tool for any economy's long-term development (Olomukoro, 2012). There have been calls in the last two decades for women to be more active in guaranteeing a country's long-term development. Despite the fact that a study found that roughly two-thirds of women are illiterate, and the same is true for females who have dropped out of school. Women (females) must, nevertheless, have a high-quality education in order to contribute to long-term development. Fortunately, females make up a larger proportion of Nigeria's population; consequently, in order for them to participate in the country's development, women must be literate (UNESCO, 2002). This takes us to the truth that if half of a country's population (females) is discriminated against or uneducated, the country's long-term development would be harmed. Educating a country's ladies is one of the ways to invest in that country's future, as the adage goes, "if you train a lady, you train the nation." If certain restrictions are removed, women will actively engage in the country's social, political, and economic development on a national and international level (Okojie, 2011). Females were formerly stereotyped as constantly being in the kitchen, based on traditional Nigerian ideas, preventing them from working in other areas of the economy. Despite this constraint, women nevertheless fought to participate in the country's economic realm, engaging in agricultural pursuits at a higher rate than males (Ponte, 2006). Discrimination against women has resulted in poverty, denying them of access to education, training, and health care. The domain of education is one of the most evident areas of discrimination against women, and this is due to the fact that they do not have access to education. It has been demonstrated that with excellent education and empowerment, women can contribute to the nation's socioeconomic development (Adeniran, 2009). Against this backdrop, attempts have been undertaken in recent years in Nigeria to increase female education. Campaigns by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the south and north of Nigeria to promote female education and to convince state governments in the north to support female education are evidence of this. The creation of girls' schools around the country is one of the campaign's good outcomes. Despite all of these important indicators, female education continues to lag behind male education. Many women have not been adequately empowered to participate to national development; they are still traumatized, and as a result, nearly 70% of the 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty are women (Onwubiko, 2012). Poverty means that these women's fundamental needs are not satisfied, that their voices are not heard, that opportunities are denied, and that their rights are violated. The Millennium Development Aims (MDGs) went a step further in one of its goals, emphasizing the importance of women's education through empowering women. Nigeria's National Policy on Women was adopted in 2000 in order to increase female participation in the country's social and political arenas in order to achieve national development (Olomukoro, 2012). Despite the fact that Nigerian tradition discourages female education, the existence of civilization (formal education) is assisting in filling the void created, allowing women to enter the country's employment. This research focuses on the key to Nigeria's development: female education. This study emphasizes the importance of female education to Nigeria's long-term development.

1.2      STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

For more than two decades, the issue of female education has been a hot topic on both the national and international stage (Oyitso, 2010). This impact is hampered by a number of factors, including: Poverty and economic issues: due to Nigeria's high degree of poverty, female youngsters are sometimes sent to hawk in order to support for the family's basic requirements. Cultural and religious biases: Many Nigerian parents believe that enrolling girls in schools is a waste of money, and that only boys should be enrolled. In addition, some Islamic parents misunderstand the concept of Islam when it comes to female education. Early Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy: Many parents believe that education is not important for their female offspring, therefore they marry them off young.

Furthermore, adolescent pregnancy causes girls to drop out of school. These are some of the challenges linked with female education in Nigeria.

1.3   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 

Female Education in Nigeria: The Key to Development is the study's main goal. Other particular goals include:

i. Investigating the strong link between female education and Nigeria's GDP.

ii. To determine the obstacles to female education in Nigeria.

iii. Make recommendations on strategies to improve female education in Nigeria.

iv. Assess how effective the media has been in promoting female education in Nigeria.

v. To find out what proportion of Nigerian women are educated.                         

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study will be guided by the following research questions:                            

i. What is  the strong link between female education and Nigeria's GDP?

ii. What are the obstacles to female education in Nigeria?

iii. What are the  recommendations on strategies to improve female education in Nigeria?

iv. How effective is the media in promoting female education in Nigeria?

v. What is the proportion of Nigerian women  educated?              

1.5   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research aims to educate, inform, and enlighten the general public, government officials, and policymakers on the relevance of female education in attaining national development. Its goal is to raise awareness among parents about the significance of sending their female children to school. The study's goal is to remind the Nigerian government that it has a role to play in guaranteeing female education in the country. Females should be required to attend education in Nigeria, and this should be made a law. This research will be extremely useful to other researchers who want to learn more about this issue, and it may also be utilized by non-researchers to expand on their own work. This research adds to the body of knowledge and might be used as a model for future research.

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The focus of this research is on female education in Nigeria, which is critical to the country's progress. Hence, selected secondary schools in Kaduna State will be sampled.

1.7   DEFINITION OF TERMS

FEMALE EDUCATION: This term refers to any type of education that attempts to improve women's and girls' knowledge and skills. General education in schools and colleges, vocational and technical education, professional education, health education, and so on are all included. Women's education is divided into two categories: literary and non-literary education.

DEVELOPMENT: This is the process through which someone or something matures, changes, and improves.

UNESCO (UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION): UNESCO is a United Nations (UN) specialized organization situated in Paris. Its stated goal is to promote international cooperation via educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to strengthen global respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights, as well as the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

The MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGs) are a United Nations program. The Millennium Development Objectives (MDGs) were a set of eight worldwide development goals for the year 2015 that were formed after the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000 and the passage of the Millennium Declaration.

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