April 06, (THEWILL) — Nigeria’s labour market continues to tilt sharply against women in formal employment, with only 10.5 percent of employed women engaged in wage and salaried jobs as of 2025, according to the World Bank’s latest gender data report.
Despite a high labour force participation rate of 80.7 percent among women aged 15 and above, the majority remain concentrated in informal, low-quality jobs that offer little income security or social protection.
This underscores a persistent imbalance between participation and job quality for women.
The disparity is more evident when compared with men. About 17.0 percent of employed Nigerian men hold wage and salaried positions, significantly higher than the figure for women.
Nigeria also lags behind global and regional benchmarks, with women’s wage employment below the Sub-Saharan Africa average of 16.9 percent , 26.5 percent in lower-middle-income countries, and the global average of 54.6 percent .
The report attributes this gap to structural barriers such as limited access to education and skills, restricted access to finance, and social norms that confine many women to informal or unpaid roles.
Women are also disproportionately represented in vulnerable employment, accounting for 79.1 percent compared to 54.8 percent of men.
Beyond employment, systemic challenges persist. Nigeria scored 51 percent on the Women, Business and the Law index, reflecting limited legal rights for women. Implementation frameworks stand at 49 percent , while enforcement is estimated at just 34 percent, with no reforms recorded between 2023 and 2025.
Ogochukwu Onwaeze is a writer specializing in business and economic journalism. At THEWILL News Media, she translates market trends, financial developments, and policy shifts into clear and engaging stories.
