WOMEN, EDUCATION AND WORK: IMPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Sustainable development in Nigeria remains constrained by persistent gender disparities in
education and labour market participation, making the nexus between women, education, and
work a critical development concern. This paper, titled Women, Education and Work:
Implications for Sustainable Development in Nigeria, examined the level of access to and
attainment in formal education among women and how this shapes labour market
participation; analyses the nature and conditions of women’s engagement in paid and unpaid
work; and evaluates the implications of these dynamics for sustainable development in
Nigeria. The paper adopted Human Capital Theory as its analytical framework, drawing on
the propositions of Schultz and Becker that investment in education enhances productivity
and economic returns. A systematic review methodology relying on secondary data was
employed, synthesizing recent peer-reviewed empirical and theoretical studies relevant to the
paper. Findings indicate that higher educational attainment significantly improves women’s
employment prospects and career mobility, particularly in the formal sector, yet structural
constraints such as wage disparities, occupational segregation, and care burdens limit full
realization of returns on educational investment. The paper further established that gender
inequality in education undermines long-term economic growth and weakens poverty
reduction efforts. It concluded that while expanding women’s access to quality education is
indispensable, sustainable development requires complementary labour market and
institutional reforms. The paper recommended among others strengthening female educational
completion rates, enforcing gender-responsive employment policies, and integrating women’s
economic empowerment into national development planning.