AN INTRODUCTION TO WOMEN, MARKET, WOMEN ASSOCIATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Women are known to be large economic participators in Markets majorly as traders. In Nigeria this setting has being since the precolonial times. This role has been evident in different markets around the world and Nigeria is included. Such market includes different market in Egba, Ibadan, Lagos, Afia Eze to mention a few.

Market women are categorized based on their various commodity trade and economic activities eg textile market women. Market Women Association, all this difference market women are brought together under the umbrella of market women association which is mostly done locational for example the of women into textile trading in Balogun Market are brought under the umbrella of Lagos Market Women Association because Balogun is in Lagos State.

From precolonial time, market and trade to mention a few have been dominated by market women entrepreneurs, who buy and sell products. The major activities are inseparably with socio economic activities. Despite the dynamic nature of markets, what goes on in the market is buying and selling. The activities of a market woman bores down to getting up in the morning in other to go and showcase her goods.

All the market women rise early in the morning. They spend inordinate numbers of hours gathering and transporting goods to market. Many are family helpers and bread winners. Most suffer the problems associated with rural and urban living-i.e. they have to deal with slow and unreliable transport, police harassment, and government hostility. Indeed, the details of market women’s daily struggles to survive and sell their goods is one of the strengths of African Market Women.[1]

Prominent market during colonialism was the Lagos market and Lagos market and association, the Ibadan market and association, Egba market and association in post colonial time, there are several markets and market women associations across the state example is the Uselu market and market women association in Benin, Afia Eze market and market women in Delta, . These market and associations are still present.

Next post would look at

THE ROLES OF MARKET WOMEN AND THEIR VARIOUS ASSOCIATIONS IN THE MARKET

Todays post was an introduction to  women,market and market women associations

Reference

[1] Jane L. Parpart  A review of African Market Women and Economic Power: The Role of Women in African Economic Development by Bessie House-Midamba and Felix K. Ekechi The International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 30, No. 2 (1997), p 454

Picture from google