Women Education in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

The goal of education is to equip, enlighten and develop both men and women with relevant skills, norms, values, and knowledge. In spite of various educational strides and declaration targeted towards ensuring equity at various levels of education there has been constant inequality mostly in the representation of women in the Nigerian education system. Some of the major factors identified to have hindered gender parity in Nigeria education are culture and parental preference among others. This implies that the fundamental human rights of some individuals are being denied hence, limited towards national building and development. However, recent statistics on various levels of education in Nigeria show a great level of improvement in the enrollment of women in education. In view of this acknowledgment, this paper gives an overview of the trends of women education in Nigeria, highlighting its challenges and prospects for equal and sustainable educational attainment.  It recommends among others the need for enlightenment of both genders towards ensuring gender parity in education, enacting new policies that emphasize the inclusion of females in education through quota system, formation of formidable support group towards women empowerment especially towards education.