Qualitative exploration of cultural practices inhibiting rural women entrepreneurship development in selected communities in Nigeria

Nigeria is a country with diverse ethnic groups having cultural practices affecting both men and women differently. However, the extent to which the cultural practices have influenced entrepreneurship practices has not been given adequate attention. Therefore, this paper aims at highlighting the cultural practices, their effects on rural women entrepreneurship, the effects of government interventions on rural entrepreneurship, and how the practices can be harnessed to improve rural women entrepreneurship. This study focused on Southeast and Southwest of Nigeria. Qualitative technique with four focus groups and eight case studies was employed. Analysis was supported by ATLAS.ti. The results revealed that most of the women were culturally restricted to engage in certain businesses, while the belief systems/traditional practices inhibited the success of government initiatives. Hence, there is the need for cultural consideration and reorientation of rural communities for successful development of women entrep...