ICT and Gender Specific Challenges Faced by Female Entrepreneurs in Nigeria

The accepted “gender” generalization in the Nigerian society expects a female to be dominantly a homemaker and not engaged in stressful, high-risk business activities, generalized as entrepreneurial activities. This has hindered many Nigerian female entrepreneurs from starting, running and growing successful business enterprises, as they face many political, economic and social obstacles in the society as highlighted by the feminist theory. Following the resource-based theory; this study highlights the importance of a nation to fully utilize all its resources including women who constitute 49% of Nigeria’s population. Through case study research of two successful female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, this study established that ICT does have a positive influence in tackling the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs, as the two successful female entrepreneurs studied, highlighted in their interviews how they gained advantage in the business world by the use of various ICT tools. From the case study analysis, a framework was created to serve as a yardstick for measurement of successful female entrepreneurship. It is anticipated that the insights developed in this study will be beneficial both by female entrepreneurs across developing countries and the world at large, and in effective program development by policy designers