Poverty and Government Empowerment among Women of Ibarapa Central Local Government Areas, Igboora, Oyo State

Abstract

The study evaluated the access to government economic empowerment among women living in poverty in rural communities, specifically, Ibarapa Central Local Government areas of Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria. Adopting a mixed-methods research design, the study combines quantitative data from structured questionnaires administered to 120 women with qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews involving 15 women engaged in diverse economic activities and key informants. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis.
The findings reveal that although women in the study area are economically active and predominantly self-employed, a significant proportion earn low monthly incomes and experience high levels of debt, indicating persistent economic vulnerability. The study further finds that government empowerment programmes for women do exist, particularly in the form of vocational training and the distribution of business tools. However, access to these programmes is uneven, with limited awareness, selective participation, and inadequate financial support constraining their overall effectiveness. While the donation of business tools emerged as the most tangible form of empowerment, the absence of complementary financial capital and transparent access mechanisms limits sustainable poverty reduction.
The study concludes that poverty among women in Ibarapa Central LGA is not a result of lack of economic engagement but is driven by structural income inadequacy and institutional barriers. It recommends improved awareness, equitable access, integrated financial support, and accountability in the design and implementation of government empowerment programmes to enhance women’s economic wellbeing and reduce poverty.