Factors Affecting The Viability Of Women In Entrepreneurship: Implications for Nigeria’s Oil Dependency

The main objective of the study was to investigate the factors affecting the viability of women in entrepreneurship as a result of Nigeria’s oil dependency. The study’s specific objectives were to investigate the rise of oil dependency in Nigeria and to determine the factors that led Nigerian women to self-employment, the extent to which women entrepreneurs can make an economic impact and used as a tool for liberate women financially and also how factors such as entrepreneurial training and skill development and government policy affect the success of women’s enterprises in the Nigerian context. The study targeted a population of women entrepreneurs in the Port Harcourt, Rivers State region, and used a stratified random sampling technique to draw a sample of 40 women entrepreneurs and 10 key informants. The study adopted a descriptive research design and used questionnaires to collect data from the respondents and in-depth interviews for the key informants. SPSS and Microsoft Excel were used to analyze the data collected and the findings presented in tables and charts. The findings point to a satisfactory state of affairs with regards to the presence of women entrepreneurs in various strategic sectors. The study also found that training and skill development are crucial in building the capacity of women entrepreneurs to start and sustain a successful enterprise and also for a sustainable livelihood. The study concluded there is need for governmental policies in place, to clearly define the roles of the government, NGOs and protect women in business. The study recommends that the Nigerian government puts in place policies to support women entrepreneurs; that NGOs re-evaluate their intervention measures to cater to the practical and strategic needs of women in local communities, strengthen existing institutions to be more involved in the process, awareness building and improve training and skill development approaches.