WOMEN IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN NIGERI

WOMEN IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN NIGERIA:
A PANACEA FOR DEVELOPMENTAL GROWTH




BY




Prof.(Mrs.) Lucy Adesomon Okukpon(Ph.D)

And

Mrs. Margaret Omolara Akerele



Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education
Faculty of Education
University of Benin
Benin City
Nigeria.


Paper presented at the International Conference on Higher Education (ICHE) Crown Plaza, Deira Salahuddin Road, Deira, Dubai.
United Arab Emirate (UAE).


November 25th – 27th 2014
Abstract

Higher Education in Nigeria is sought after by women, they believe that the economic power and growth lies in the attainment and pursuit of higher Education.
No nation in the world can boast of developmental growth when the women are not fully empowered educationally. The attainment of higher education spurs women to contribute meaningfully towards the growth and development of the Nigerian workforce. Recent innovations and trends reveal that over fifty per cent of Nigerian women have attained higher education within and outside the country (Field Survey by Okukpon and Akerele, 2014). Women in Nigeria have expressed their growing concern of what becomes of the remaining 50 per cent who are unable to attain basic education.
This concern has brought about the issue of funding which is a practical challenge towards the attainment of education for these vulnerable women. Another challenging factor is that most women often seek the permission of their husbands, brothers, fathers and uncles to enable them attain educational pursuit, especially when the institution is miles away from their place of abode.
The solution to this problems from research findings reveal that the umbrella body which co-ordinates education for women in Nigeria (The National Council of Women Societies, NCWS) have taken it upon itself to provide educational learning centres in all the states of the Federation including Abuja the Nations capital city. This is to stem the ugly trend and enable women gain access to educational facilities provided for their growth and development. This positive stride has brought succour to women who hitherto have no hope of attaining any form of education. Moreover, awareness creation concerning higher education is translated into different Nigerian languages so that the women at the grassroots can benefit immensely and contribute towards the growth and development of the Nation. Their educational progress attest to the fact that Nigerian Women are happy for the educational opportunities provided and have vowed to attain greater heights particularly where higher education is concerned.

Keywords: Higher Education, Developmental Growth and Educational Attainment.

Introduction:
Education is the bedrock of any nation and any nation that toils with the education of its citizens particularly women is heading towards national disaster. This is because education plays a vital role in the growth and development of a nation. Be that as it may, many women yearn for higher education but they are faced with constraints and obstacles which makes this almost impossible. Despite the facilities put in place by the Federal and State government to ensure equitable access to education, this mission is almost thwarted by seen and unforeseen circumstances and situations that plaque women on a daily basis. The National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) the umbrella body that coordinates women education has played a major role in ensuring higher education for women in Nigeria. NCWS has put in place facilities and equipment which will assist women in achieving the goal of attaining higher education in Nigeria. Reforms are being carried out in the educational sector with a view to making the sector higher performing and responsive to the concepts of globalization, information communication technology and environmental friendliness, hence -
Biao, Akpama, Tawo and Okukpon (2009:59) affirm that the adult is motivated and rewarded when making a success in the learning effort (Okeem,1998). There must be continuous demands for comprehensive and systematized systems geared towards women advancement, gender equality, women empowerment, appropriate and sufficient funding, research, monitoring and evaluated policies and sincere or authentic implementation of actions (Jahan,1995, Oduaran,1991a). So that women can achieve the aims and objectives earmarked for them.
Higher Education for women: The New Trend.
Higher education prepares women to survive in an environment and also contribute towards the growth of the nation. Fasokun (2006) asserts that higher education prepares people to live more successfully and become useful and acceptable members of their societies, and in the same vein contribute meaningfully to the development of those societies. Higher education can provide a platform through which women can attain the goals and the objectives desired. Higher education in the 21st century has become a benchmark with which women are recognized and placed appropriately especially in the nations workforce. This serves as a developmental growth of which the women are proud. The attainment of higher education for the womenfolk has given them opportunities to excel in their chosen vocations and exhibit talents inherent in them for the development of the nation. Similarly, women should be encouraged by the Federal, State and Local governments to acquire higher education, particularly for upward mobility and progress.
Higher education for women facilitates information sharing and networking amongst them. By so doing, they are able to collaborate and work together for self-development and growth. Women, who have had the privilege of quality education, have not only excelled but distinguished themselves in their various areas of specialization. When a girl/woman is educated a nation is savaged. Our young girls/women in Nigeria are worth our sacrifices therefore, their education, health and general wellbeing should not be compromised by anyone. Okoye (2014) is of the opinion that education providers should ensure an enabling environment for our young women to develop into healthy and productive women, in order to have self-confidence in themselves and also have the capability to cope with challenges which they face in the course of pursuing higher education.
Addo (2010) buttressed the fact that higher education has immense impact on society. It performs societal functions through the process of socialization and acculturation. This initiates change by assisting the women to cope with life and solve everyday problems as they arise. In addition, Higher education helps to inculcate human values, knowledge and beliefs and of late, religious tolerance (because of the activities of insurgents in Nigeria and other countries).
Empowering women for Higher Education
Empowering entails gaining or transfer of power and control over activities earmarked for women. Education programmes for women should arise out of the need of women to become knowledgeable and competent in their chosen occupations as well as have feelings of satisfaction, success and achievement. The teaching and learning process of education for empowerment must take into consideration the problems being faced by the women and the progress so far made in the programme. Muller (1993) asserts that what is learned must be applicable to real life situations and job requirements. Similarly, Fadeyi (1995) emphasized that for education to specifically meet the needs of women, women themselves need to identify their area of interest, the skills they need, their aspiration and expectations and the way in which education can empower them to meet their needs so that they themselves can guarantee their emancipation.
Moreover, empowering women for higher education enable them to acquire useful knowledge, attitudes and skills and gives them opportunities to gain access to a wide range of learning activities. In addition, Walters and Walters (2000) affirms that it has become normal for there to be insistence on women’s participation in higher education where words like “empowerment”, “capacity building” and “participatory development” are used for changing the conditions of women. Furthermore, Sargant (2001) maintained that research into women’s empowerment has shown that cognitive and emotional processes are significant both for their confidence and commitment in participating in Higher education. Be that as it may, there is therefore need for women to function effectively in the complex world of work of which they are a part, this is to enable them appreciate the talents inherent in them. This feat can be achieved if they are effectively empowered through higher education practices.

Barriers to women’s Education
Reddeppa – Reddy (1991) enumerated the barriers to women’s education as follows:
1. Social taboos and traditional beliefs
2. Low social status
3. Early marriage
4. Heavy workload
5. Lack of motivation of women
6. Poverty of the parents.
These barriers pose threats to women in their bid to pursue higher education programmes. Social taboos and traditional beliefs prevents women and girls from being sent to school because the belief is that only the men will continue to perpetuate the family name. This belief is still in place in some cultures in Nigeria. Low social statuses on the other hand deprive women of highly paid jobs because of the poor academic status as a result they are left with unskilled and backbreaking labour. Similarly, early marriage for young women is an additional handicap to their education. They must seek the consent to their husbands to enable them attend or obtain any other form of education. These women are saddled with heavy work load such as washing, cleaning, fetching of water, cooking and caring for children and old members of the family (Okukpon 2005). As a result, they have neither the time nor energy for further education. In addition, lack of motivation among

Results (English) 1:

WOMEN IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN NIGERIA:A PANACEA FOR DEVELOPMENTAL GROWTHBYProf.(Mrs.) Lucy Adesomon Okukpon(Ph.D)AndMrs. Margaret Omolara AkereleDepartment of Adult and Non-Formal EducationFaculty of EducationUniversity of BeninBenin CityNigeria.Paper presented at the International Conference on Higher Education (ICHE) Crown Plaza, Deira Salahuddin Road, Deira, Dubai.United Arab Emirate (UAE).November 25th – 27th 2014 AbstractHigher Education in Nigeria is sought after by women, they believe that the economic power and growth lies in the attainment and pursuit of higher Education. No nation in the world can boast of developmental growth when the women are not fully empowered educationally. The attainment of higher education spurs women to contribute meaningfully towards the growth and development of the Nigerian workforce. Recent innovations and trends reveal that over fifty per cent of Nigerian women have attained higher education within and outside the country (Field Survey by Okukpon and Akerele, 2014). Women in Nigeria have expressed their growing concern of what becomes of the remaining 50 per cent who are unable to attain basic education. This concern has brought about the issue of funding which is a practical challenge towards the attainment of education for these vulnerable women. Another challenging factor is that most women often seek the permission of their husbands, brothers, fathers and uncles to enable them attain educational pursuit, especially when the institution is miles away from their place of abode. The solution to this problems from research findings reveal that the umbrella body which co-ordinates education for women in Nigeria (The National Council of Women Societies, NCWS) have taken it upon itself to provide educational learning centres in all the states of the Federation including Abuja the Nations capital city. This is to stem the ugly trend and enable women gain access to educational facilities provided for their growth and development. This positive stride has brought succour to women who hitherto have no hope of attaining any form of education. Moreover, awareness creation concerning higher education is translated into different Nigerian languages so that the women at the grassroots can benefit immensely and contribute towards the growth and development of the Nation. Their educational progress attest to the fact that Nigerian Women are happy for the educational opportunities provided and have vowed to attain greater heights particularly where higher education is concerned.Keywords: Higher Education, Developmental Growth and Educational Attainment. Introduction: Education is the bedrock of any nation and any nation that toils with the education of its citizens particularly women is heading towards national disaster. This is because education plays a vital role in the growth and development of a nation. Be that as it may, many women yearn for higher education but they are faced with constraints and obstacles which makes this almost impossible. Despite the facilities put in place by the Federal and State government to ensure equitable access to education, this mission is almost thwarted by seen and unforeseen circumstances and situations that plaque women on a daily basis. The National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) the umbrella body that coordinates women education has played a major role in ensuring higher education for women in Nigeria. NCWS has put in place facilities and equipment which will assist women in achieving the goal of attaining higher education in Nigeria. Reforms are being carried out in the educational sector with a view to making the sector higher performing and responsive to the concepts of globalization, information communication technology and environmental friendliness, hence-Biao, Akpama, Town and Okukpon (2009: 59) affirm that the adult is motivated and rewarded when making a success in the learning effort (Okeem, 1998). There must be continuous demands for comprehensive and systematized systems geared towards women advancement, gender equality, women empowerment, appropriate and sufficient funding, research, monitoring and evaluated policies and sincere or authentic implementation of actions (Jahan, 1995, Oduaran, 1991a). So that women can achieve the aims and objectives earmarked for them. Higher Education for women: The New Trend. Higher education prepares women to survive in an environment and also contribute towards the growth of the nation. Fasokun (2006) asserts that higher education prepares people to live more successfully and become useful and acceptable members of their societies, and in the same vein contribute meaningfully to the development of those societies. Higher education can provide a platform through which women can attain the goals and the objectives desired. Higher education in the 21st century has become a benchmark with which women are recognized and placed appropriately especially in the nations workforce. This serves as a developmental growth of which the women are proud. The attainment of higher education for the womenfolk has given them opportunities to excel in their chosen vocations and exhibit talents inherent in them for the development of the nation. Similarly, women should be encouraged by the Federal, State and Local governments to acquire higher education, particularly for upward mobility and progress. Higher education for women facilitates information sharing and networking amongst them. By so doing, they are able to collaborate and work together for self-development and growth. Women, who have had the privilege of quality education, have not only excelled but distinguished themselves in their various areas of specialization. When a girl/woman is educated a nation is savaged. Our young girls/women in Nigeria are worth our sacrifices therefore, their education, health and general wellbeing should not be compromised by anyone. Okoye (2014) is of the opinion that education providers should ensure an enabling environment for our young women to develop into healthy and productive women, in order to have self-confidence in themselves and also have the capability to cope with challenges which they face in the course of pursuing higher education. Addo (2010) buttressed the fact that higher education has immense impact on society. It performs societal functions through the process of socialization and acculturation. This initiates change by assisting the women to cope with life and solve everyday problems as they arise. In addition, Higher education helps to inculcate human values, knowledge and beliefs and of late, religious tolerance (because of the activities of insurgents in Nigeria and other countries).Empowering women for Higher Education Empowering entails gaining or transfer of power and control over activities earmarked for women. Education programmes for women should arise out of the need of women to become knowledgeable and competent in their chosen occupations as well as have feelings of satisfaction, success and achievement. The teaching and learning process of education for empowerment must take into consideration the problems being faced by the women and the progress so far made in the programme. Muller (1993) asserts that what is learned must be applicable to real life situations and job requirements. Similarly, Fadeyi (1995) emphasized that for education to specifically meet the needs of women, women themselves need to identify their area of interest, the skills they need, their aspiration and expectations and the way in which education can empower them to meet their needs so that they themselves can guarantee their emancipation. Moreover, empowering women for higher education enable them to acquire useful knowledge, attitudes and skills and gives them opportunities to gain access to a wide range of learning activities. In addition, Walters and Walters (2000) affirms that it has become normal for there to be insistence on womens participation in higher education where words like "empowerment", "capacity building" and "participatory development" are used for changing the conditions of women. Furthermore, Sargant (2001) maintained that research into womens empowerment has shown that cognitive and emotional processes are significant both for their confidence and commitment in participating in Higher education. Be that as it may, there is therefore need for women to function effectively in the complex world of work of which they are a part, this is to enable them appreciate the talents inherent in them. This feat can be achieved if they are effectively empowered through higher education practices.Barriers to womens EducationReddeppa – Reddy (1991) enumerated the barriers to womens education as follows:1. Social taboos and traditional beliefs2. Low social status3. Early marriage 4. Heavy workload5. Lack of motivation of women6. Poverty of the parents. These barriers pose threats to women in their bid to pursue higher education programmes. Social taboos and traditional beliefs prevents women and girls from being sent to school because the belief is that only the men will continue to perpetuate the family name. This belief is still in place in some cultures in Nigeria. Low social statuses on the other hand deprive women of highly paid jobs because of the poor academic status as a result they are left with unskilled and backbreaking labour. Similarly, early marriage for young women is an additional handicap to their education. They must seek the consent to their husbands to enable them attend or obtain any other form of education. These women are saddled with heavy work load such as washing, cleaning, fetching of water, cooking and caring for children and old members of the family (Okukpon 2005). As a result, they have neither the time nor energy for further education. In addition, lack of motivation among

Results (English) 3:

在尼日利亚的高等教育的妇女：





教授的生长发育




灵丹妙药（女士）露西adesomon okukpon（博士）

和

玛格丽特夫人omolara Akerele



部成人和非正规教育
教育学院
大学贝宁贝宁市尼日利亚




纸。提出了在国际高等教育会议（瘙痒）皇冠，德拉萨拉赫丁路，岛，迪拜。
阿拉伯联合酋长国（UAE）。


十一月二十五日–第二十七2014
摘要

尼日利亚高等教育追求的女性，他们认为，经济实力和增长是实现高等教育的追求。
在世界上没有一个国家可以夸耀的生长发育时，女性没有充分授权教育。