The
history of an emerging African country during its years under the colonial
power and after its attainment of independence. He early missionaries introduce
education into Nigeria and the young men that received the early education
became wiser members of the society and where given high respect by local
people and virtues of ability of certain type of jobs, where regarded as member
of the richer group. Naturally all the younger men developed the ambition to be
like one of these. The period one might call the beginning of the education
revolution in Nigeria in spite of special diffulties of learning new facts and
taught in a new fashion parent were anxious that their children should be
member of the wise wealthy and respect group and pursued them
on. The fact
above summaries the reasons why people give themselves to education (Adekanye,
2000).
In
Nigeria, Role
and contribution of the Nigerian women in educational development and to the
various sectors of the economy, they have tremendous achievements in
different parts of the country in participating so remarkably in various fields
of developments particularly in agriculture and in business. Women have considerable potential more than the
role they are presently playing in National development.
Most
of these contributions by women had not been recognized until recently when the
United Nations
declared the Decade for Women (1976-1985) making it mandatory on governments to
focus on
issue of women as an integral component of national development. In 1979, the
United Nations General Assembly adopted
the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women Consequently, subsequent conferences on
women were held in Copenhagen, Denmark 1980, Nairobi in Kenya 1985 and
Benjing in China 1995 However, an international news magazines 'Africa Today" reported in July 1995 that the
full implementation of all the strategies and recommendations of the various
conferences on women issues had still not been achieved and enthusiasm was waning.
According to the magazine, the UN itself reported that only six out of the 184 ambassadors to UN are women and only four out
of the 32 UN specialized agencies and programmes are headed by women.
In Nigeria, the 1995 constitutional conference
in Nigeria had only eight women out of a
total of 369 delegates. Much of women's work remains invisible, unremunerated
and unrecognized. But women are now challenging the status quo.
Mechanisms to right the so called "Cultures wrong" are being put in
place. Women's voices are now being heard clamoring for an improvement in their socio-economic status and
for the recognition of their immense contributions to national development (Adekanye, 2000).
Some people have identified some areas of
development where women are active in Nigeria. Mabogunje (1991) identified the eight cardinal elements of sustainable
development as they affect women,
e.g. education, health, culture politics, economy, agriculture, enhanced
environment, quality and peaceful
co-existence.
Nigerian women take active part in agriculture.
In a study of women's participation in agricultural production in Northern Nigeria's rural areas, Ahmed Ogungbile and
Olukosi (1991), found that women were active
participants in the process. According to them, about 90 percent of the women interviewed had farming as their main occupation
(both arable and pastoral) including those in purdah. The general patrilineal system of inheritance enabled most women
in Northern Nigeria to have access to
land through their husbands who acquire it through inheritance.