Nigerian Journal Sustainability Research

Publications

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2026): From Theory to Action: Implementing Sustainability Principles

Effect of Grassroots Women's Vocational Education on Family Socio-Economic Development and National Food Security

Submitted
August 22, 2026
Published
2026-08-30

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of grassroots women's vocational education on family socio-economic development and national food security in Lagos State, Nigeria. The aim was to evaluate how practical apprenticeship, business workshops, and formal certifications structurally alter household development indicators. Bounded within a cross-sectional scope across four local government areas—Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Mushin, Shomolu, and Badagry—the study adopted a quantitative survey research design sampling 400 micro-entrepreneurs. Utilizing the snowball sampling technique to map informal enterprise networks, data were analyzed via a simultaneous four-equation Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) system model in EViews 13. The theoretical framework of the study was anchored on Human Capital Theory, Household Production Theory, and the Capability Approach. The findings of the study revealed that skills training, management workshops, and vocational certifications exert strong, positive, and highly significant effects on domestic welfare (p=0.0000), yielding a system weighted R-squared of 0.7614. Specifically, holding a certificate increases terminal child school funding by ₦7,542.10 and weekly food spending by ₦3,492.15, while error correlations revealed an inflationary displacement coefficient of -0.28415 between food outlays and daily meal frequency. The study concluded that non-formal vocational education provides marginalized women with the financial agency needed to build domestic economic resilience, eliminate poverty traps, and bypass formal academic entry barriers. Therefore, the study recommended that the government decentralize and subsidize National Trade Test certifications to unlock retail credit, while establishing localized mobile financial literacy training within regional trading hubs to maximize micro-enterprise operational revenues.

References

  1. Achama, C. M., & Nwovuhoma, I.-J. (2026). Assessing the role of women’s education in promoting economic empowerment and sustainable development in Rivers State. Social Sciences Journal of Policy Review and Development Strategies, 7(1), 468. https://doi.org/10.48028/iiprds/ssjprds.v7.i1.33
  2. Adeniyi, O. A., & Popoola, M. O. (2025). Urban market vulnerabilities and household dietary paths in southwestern Nigeria. Lagos University Press.
  3. Agbelese, T. O., & Mensah, K. A. (2023). Maternal literacy, informal enterprise revenue, and infant nutritional outcomes in West African urban grids. Development Policy Review, 41(3), 312–329.
  4. African Development Bank. (2024). African economic outlook 2024: Food security and human capital investments under macroeconomic shocks. AfDB Graphics.
  5. Akanbi, T. E., & George, C. O. (2023). Rethinking macro development: The role of informal markets in urban growth. Journal of African Economic Studies, 19(2), 145–162.
  6. Ajayi, F. B., & Bello, A. I. (2024). Vocational education and micro-enterprise survival in sub-Saharan Africa. Development Review, 32(1), 45–59.
  7. Akubuilo, C. J., & Omeje, P. N. (2012). Women education in Nigeria: Predicaments and prospects. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 2(3), 185–196.
  8. Amadi, S. N., & Taylor, P. L. (2024). Human capital indicators and household livelihood strategies in developing economies. Oxford University Press.
  9. Babatunde, R. O., & Smith, J. A. (2024). Food systems and baseline calorie security parameters in Nigeria. African Development Review, 36(3), 289–304.
  10. Becker, G. S. (1964). Human capital: A theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education. National Bureau of Economic Research.
  11. Central Bank of Nigeria. (2024). Monetary policy review, inflation dynamics, and the informal sector purse. CBN Press.
  12. Chukwu, E. C., & Nwosu, I. K. (2024). Micro-credit, female asset ownership, and familial stability metrics in urban spaces. Social Welfare Quarterly, 41(4), 112–128.
  13. Economic Commission for Africa. (2024). Empowering African women: Structural adjustments, formalization barriers, and micro-enterprise resilience. ECA Publications.
  14. Eze, U. H., & Alao, A. O. (2023). Non-formal instructional modes and the economic resilience of marketplace women. Journal of Vocational Policy, 15(3), 201–216.
  15. Food and Agriculture Organization, International Fund for Agricultural Development, United Nations Children’s Fund, World Food Programme, & World Health Organization. (2024). The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2024: Financing transformations for food security. FAO.
  16. Federal Ministry of Health. (2024). National out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure audit and grass-roots vulnerability mapping. Federal Secretariat Press.
  17. Idris, M. K., & Garba, S. A. (2023). Food price volatility, currency fluctuations, and consumer coping strategies in Lagos markets. Economic Insights, 29(1), 18–34.
  18. International Labour Organization. (2023). Women and men in the informal economy: A statistical picture. ILO Publications.
  19. International Monetary Fund. (2025). World economic outlook: Navigating global commodity price spikes and structural monetary realignments. IMF.
  20. Lawan, B. M., & Mohammed, U. F. (2026). Family welfare indicators and the development paradigm in West Africa. Kaduna Academic Press.
  21. McKinsey Global Institute. (2021). The power of parity: How advancing women’s equality can add 12 trillion to global growth. McKinsey & Company.
  22. Mue, B. N. M., & Ogbe, S. J. O. (2025). Impact of sustainable empowerment interventions on women’s development in Nigeria. African Journal of Stability and Development, 17(1), 649–682. https://doi.org/10.53982/ajsd.2025.1701.33-j
  23. Mustapha, L. O., & Yusuf, Z. T. (2024). Women traders as food security anchors in the West African sub-region. Food Policy Research, 22(3), 310–325.
  24. National Bureau of Statistics. (2024). Nigeria labor force survey and informal sector statistical bulletin. NBS Press.
  25. Nwachukwu, I. E., Solomon, D., & Abel, G. (2025). Quantitative assessment of skill masteries among grassroots informal clusters. Econometric Livelihoods, 11(2), 88–101.
  26. OECD. (2022). Enhancing vocational education and training systems for inclusive micro-enterprise growth. OECD Publishing.
  27. Oyedele, S. A., & Bello, M. M. (2026). Aggregating micro shocks into macro development targets. Review of African Political Economy, 53(1), 44–61.
  28. Oyeniran, R. T., & Adebayo, K. S. (2023). Out-of-pocket health costs and poverty traps in urban centers. Journal of Health Economics and Policy, 14(2), 95–109.
  29. Sanusi, H. A., & Obi, C. N. (2025). Macro-economic indicators of food sovereignty and nutrition paths. Ibadan University Press.
  30. Schultz, T. W. (1961). Investment in human capital. The American Economic Review, 51(1), 1–17.
  31. Sen, A. (1985). Commodities and capabilities. North-Holland.
  32. Soyemi, T. A., & Johnson, E. W. (2024). Inclusive human capital investments: A prerequisite for sustained national growth. International Economic Review, 48(4), 412–427.
  33. Suleiman, A. R., & Danjuma, N. P. (2024). Testing trade test validities: A primary data inspection of female micro-artisans. Journal of Applied Econometrics, 16(2), 140–155.
  34. Ume, C. S., Nelson, O. O., & Peters, F. G. (2025). Domestic expenditure tilts: Maternal education and child development investments. Journal of Gender and Development, 21(1), 67–83.
  35. UNESCO. (2024). Global education monitoring report: Technical and vocational education frameworks in emerging markets. UNESCO Publishing.
  36. United Nations Development Programme. (2024). Human development report 2023/2024: Breaking the gridlock. UNDP.
  37. UN Women. (2023). Progress on the sustainable development goals: The gender snapshot 2023. United Nations.
  38. World Bank. (2023). Women, business and the law 2023. World Bank Publications.
  39. World Food Programme. (2024). Livelihood support, maternal functional literacy, and urban hunger index monitoring. WFP Operational Report.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Similar Articles

21-30 of 36

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.