Women's Education and Non-Farm Enterprise Ownership: Poverty-Mitigating Role of Remittances in Nigeria

Remittances worldwide have witnessed a phenomenal increase in the last two decades. Thus, the policymakers are keen to examine the developmental role of these international private flows particularly in developing countries. Nigeria, a developing country in Africa, with a large population and thus potentially high labour migration, stands among the top 10 remittance-receiving countries. Our study examines the effect of domestic and international remittances on various dimensions of empowerment in Nigeria, particularly focusing on education and entrepreneurship. Specifically, we seek to understand how these financial flows contribute to educational attainment and the ownership of non-farm enterprises by vulnerable groups like women, thereby potentially reducing multidimensional poverty across the country and its regions. We categorise women as a vulnerable group in Nigeria due to systemic inequalities and barriers that limit their access to resources, education, economic opportunities, and decision-making power.