Enabling Women’s Economic Participation in Nigeria : State-Level Insights from Women, Business and the Law

Overview & Synopsis

This brief presents one of the first subnational assessments of women’s economic rights in Nigeria. It draws on newly released data from the World Bank Group Women, Business and the Law project from eight jurisdictions spanning all geopolitical zones. The analysis reveals wide disparities at the state level driven by legal regimes, implementation capacity, and social norms. Subnational-level data show that Lagos and Oyo have the most enabling legal frameworks for women’s economic participation, while Bauchi and Kano exhibit significant legal gaps, particularly in the areas of women’s safety, family law, and inheritance rights. No state yet grants women full legal parity with men. These findings underscore the importance of complementing national reforms with targeted state-level action, strengthened implementation mechanisms, and peer learning among states to advance women’s economic participation and inclusive growth.