Women Empowerment through Higher Education: An Antidote for Improving Research Capacity and Nigeria Economy in a Turbulent Era

This paper investigated the role of higher education in empowering Nigerian women to yield research capacity and economic improvement. Four (4) research questions were raised to guide the study. The study employed a descriptive research design of survey type. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select participants for the study. Purposive sampling was used to select women in tertiary institutions in Ekiti State based on the condition that the researcher lectures in the University. In phase two of this study, simple random sampling technique was used to select one senatorial district (Ekiti Central) out of the three existing senatorial districts in Ekiti State. Simple random sampling technique was used to select two Local Government Areas (LGAs) from the six Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the selected senatorial district in Ekiti State, they were Ado and Efon-Alaaye local government area. Simple random sampling was used to select two schools from each of the two LGAs selected giving a total number of four schools. In all, 60 respondents were sampled for the study. The findings of the study underscored the essential function of higher education as a transformative instrument for empowering women in Nigeria and improving the nation’s economic framework and research proficiency. The study found out that dismantling these obstacles by empowering women through higher education has extensive advantages, not alone for individual women but also for the nation at large. The findings also indicated the beneficial roles between women’s empowerment and national economic advancement. Ultimately, women’s higher education was found to serve not just as a means for gender equality but also as a stimulus for national development. The study recommended that Nigerian government should implement measures that ensure equal access to higher education for women, including specific scholarships and grants for women, especially in rural and neglected area.