Challenges and opportunities for informal female entrepreneurs in Nigeria using the 5M framework

Purpose This paper examines how informal female entrepreneurs (IFEs) navigate the intersecting challenges of informality, gender and patriarchy and how they develop coping strategies to remain in business. We draw on the existing “5M” framework to highlight how the embeddedness of money, motherhood, management, market and the macro/meso environment dimensions influence female entrepreneurs’ experiences in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach The interpretivist phenomenological approach is adopted to understand the challenges and opportunities available to IFEs in Nigeria. Preliminary data were collected using an online questionnaire and 20 semi-structured interviews. Findings The result uncovers several challenges, including institutional voids, high inflation rates, work–life balance and limited business opportunities. The findings demonstrate how IFEs streamline products and service offerings to suit perceived structural inequalities while developing coping strategies to remain in business. However, growth opportunities are evidenced through innovativeness and resource pooling within informal communities. Practical implications This research recommends the opportunities available to IFEs, which could provide a better business environment if harnessed strategically. In addition, we highlight the need for further research on female entrepreneurship in the context of developing economies. Originality/value We advance research on the contextual embeddedness of informal female entrepreneurship in a unique context where patriarchal structures remain strong. Empirically, it contributes to the literature by examining the intersection of informality, gender and patriarchy to understand the complex nature of informal female entrepreneurship in Nigeria. It further provides insights into the challenges that lead to continuous informality using a gendered lens – 5M framework.