Nigerian Macro Socio-Economic Variables as Determinants of Self Employment: A Gender Perspective

This study examines the rationality behind men and women engaging in self employment and investigates whether the Nigerian macro socio-economic variables are significant determinants of self employment for both men and women. The incidence of unemployment in Nigeria which is as a result of its mono economy has been a predominant issue that has been prevailing for decades. Thus, rather than for occupational choice, men and women resort to self employment as a necessity for survival. Alternatively, self employment is important for an economy as it serves as a factor in poverty alleviation. Thus this research tests the significance of macro socio-economic variables; urbanization ratio, availability of paid employment, absolute poverty level, average years of schooling, average number of child per household as determinants of self employment participation by employing the multiple regression analysis to determine the causal relationship between the macro socio-economic variables and self employment. The premise that macro socioeconomic variables are not important drivers of self-employment involvement was true exclusively for women in this study. As a result, the data imply that macro socioeconomic factors in Nigeria are only major predictors for men who engage in self-employment, rather than women.