Gender Analysis of Access to Human Capital in Nigeria: A Case Study of School Enrolment

Abstract

Women and girls account for about 50% of the world’s population. However, they have been subjected to arbitrary deprivation in many parts of the world. In developing countries, the most noticeable deprivation that women suffer is related to the access to, and control of assets. This has become entrenched owing to the high rate of illiteracy amongst women, while the males continue to get educated and brighten their life chances. This study aimed at assessing access to human capital among girls/women in Nigeria. This study is based on secondary data on school enrolment which were obtained from several published and unpublished sources. These data were descriptively analysed in simple percentages, and it was discovered that there has been persistent inequality in school enrolment in Nigeria since the country’s independence in 1960. This indicates preference for male children in Nigeria, despite being a signatory to several international covenants, agreements and laws that emphasise equal treatment for people irrespective of their gender. Enrolment has been consistently in favour of the male-child from primary school to university level. Since literacy is one major pillar of Human Development Index (HDI), it is clear from this that the human development of women in Nigeria is low (from the perspective of access to education). This study, therefore recommends that priority should be given to female children in admission in order to close the already existing gender-gap; girls should be admitted into specialised programmes and strict penalties should be meted on parents that deliberately refuse to enrol their daughters in school.