THE ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN IGUEBEN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

ABSTRACT

The study sought to investigate The Role of Entrepreneurship Education for SocioEconomic Empowerment of Women in Igueben Local Government Area. Four rsearch questions were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design method to elicit response from 98 respondents in within 5 communities in Igueben Local government area of Edo State; the research instrument used for the study 20 item likert four scaled questionnaire; the research instrument as validated by the researcher’s supervisor and two other experts in the department. The research instrument was subjected to to realability through Cronbach Alpha to check the internal consistency of the instrument. A reliability coeefficient of 0.78 was obtained which showed that the instrument was reliable. The research found out that; the availability of entrepreneurial education opportunities varies across sectors, with traditional fields like hairdressing, beadmaking, baking, and tailoring showing better accessibility compared to modern skills such as computer literacy. The study also found out that while there is a high perception of the importance of entrepreneurship education among women in Igueben, actual participation rates are relatively low. In terms of economic empowerment, while women show confidence in starting businesses and generating income, there are notable deficiencies in financial literacy, access to resources, and support networks. The study concluded that while entrepreneurship education contributes to economic empowerment to some extent, systemic barriers still inhibit women from fully realizing their entrepreneurial potential. The study therefore recommended that Government and Policy Makers should allocate resources to bridge the gap in access to entrepreneurial education, particularly focusing on modern skills training such as computer literacy; implement policies and initiatives aimed at increasing the quality and inclusivity of entrepreneurship education programs. The study also recommended that Women Organizations and Civil Society should advocate for increased investment in entrepreneurship education for women, highlighting its significance in promoting socioeconomic empowerment and gender equality