World Bank: Only 10.5% of Nigerian women in wage employment

By: Amarachi Okonkwo 

The World Bank has revealed that just 10.5 per cent of Nigerian women are engaged in wage and salaried employment, underscoring a significant imbalance in access to formal, income-generating jobs in Nigeria.

This finding is contained in the Nigeria Gender Data Landscape 2026 report, which examined disparities across employment, economic rights, and access to opportunities. The report highlights that although women are actively participating in the labour market, they remain largely excluded from stable and well-paying jobs.

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According to the data, female labour force participation stood at a relatively high 80.7 per cent in 2025 well above the global average of 48.9 per cent. However, this strong participation has not translated into quality employment, as most women are concentrated in informal, low-paying, or vulnerable work.

The report noted that only 10.5 per cent of employed women were in wage and salaried positions, compared to 17.0 per cent for men. This places Nigeria below regional and global benchmarks, with women’s wage employment averaging 16.9 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa and 54.6 per cent globally. The implication is stark: nearly nine out of every 10 working Nigerian women operate outside formal employment structures.

Further reinforcing concerns over job quality, 79.1 per cent of employed women were classified as being in vulnerable employment, significantly higher than the 54.8 per cent recorded for men. Many women are also concentrated in agriculture, accounting for 23.6 per cent of female employment, though still lower than the 42.7 per cent recorded among men.

The report stressed that high participation alone does not equate to economic empowerment, identifying job quality as a major constraint to women’s financial independence and productivity.

On youth employment, the report showed that female youth unemployment stood at 6.29 per cent in 2025, lower than both the Sub-Saharan African average of 11.0 per cent and the global average of 14.9 per cent. Male youth unemployment was even lower at 4.42 per cent. However, early disadvantages persist, with 13.4 per cent of young women not in education, employment, or training (NEET) in 2024, compared to 10.5 per cent for young men.

Beyond labour outcomes, structural barriers continue to limit women’s economic opportunities. Under the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law index, Nigerian women enjoy only 51 per cent of the legal rights available to men. Implementation gaps are also evident, with only 49 per cent of supporting mechanisms in place and enforcement operating at just 34 per cent of full potential.

The report further noted that Nigeria recorded no reforms aimed at improving women’s economic opportunities between October 2023 and October 2025.

Financial inclusion also remains uneven. In 2024, only 52.2 per cent of women had access to financial accounts, compared to 74.3 per cent for men. Similarly, 36.5 per cent of women saved through formal financial systems, significantly below the 50.2 per cent recorded for men.

Asset ownership disparities are equally pronounced. As of 2018, 88.5 per cent of women did not own land, compared to 58.9 per cent of men, limiting women’s access to productive resources and collateral for financing.

In corporate leadership, women remain underrepresented. They accounted for 37.9 per cent of senior and middle management roles in 2024, while only 14.3 per cent of firms had female top managers in 2025. Female ownership participation stood at 18.4 per cent.

Political representation also lagged, with women holding just 3.91 per cent of parliamentary seats and 8.82 per cent of ministerial positions in 2024.

The World Bank emphasised that closing these gaps particularly by improving access to wage employment will be critical to boosting productivity, reducing poverty, and achieving inclusive growth.

“Greater equality under the law fuels women’s employment and entrepreneurship,” the report stated, adding that stronger enforcement of existing laws could significantly expand women’s access to economic opportunities in Nigeria.