The Socio-Economic Significance of Women in Commercial Transportation Sector in Ibadan, Nigeria, 2000-2024
Keywords:
Women in the Commercial Transportation Sector;, Okada;, Keke;, Socio-Economic Significance;Abstract
Ibadan, the largest city in Oyo State and a busy hub of commercial activities, has experienced an emergence and transformative shift in the role of women within the transportation sector. Historically, the field had been male-dominated. While some studies have examined women’s roles in Nigeria’s informal sectors, scant attention has been paid to the socioeconomic significance of women in the commercial transportation sector in Ibadan. This study was therefore, designed to examine women’s involvement in the transportation sector in Ibadan between 1999 and 2024. Empirical and descriptive designs were adopted. This study utilised the qualitative research method. Primary data was collected from twenty-five in-depth interviews (IDI) with commercial drivers (both male and female) and passengers involved in the tricycle and motorcycle transport business. Secondary data were collected through books, journals and media publications. Data were content analysed. Despite the odds of societal biases and financial constraints, women in the Ibadan transport sector contribute significantly to economic growth, employment creation, and community development. The study stresses the significance of supporting women's participation in transport enterprise as a means to promoting sustainable economic development further while emphasising the necessity for targeted interventions, including mentoring initiatives, capacity-building programmes and gender-sensitive policies.
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