I have training in economics and am currently studying for my Doctorate in Economics. Prior to registering for my PhD in 2017/2018, I was teaching Economics and Business at the Polytechnic in my home country of Nigeria for close to seven years. My interest is in development economics and I intend to spend my post-training years doing research in the areas of poverty, gender and sustainable development.
My PhD project, 'Cultural Norms and Female Labor Force Participation in Sub-Saharan Africa', examines the influence of socio-cultural norms on the economic welbeing of women in developing countries with specific reference to African countries. It examines how the norms of behaviour within a kinship/descent group affect women’s ability to work outside of their homes, control their resources and participate in household decision making. These norms are important determinants of the peristent gender gap in education, employment and income that is common in most African societies and that limit women’s contribution to national development.
Supervised by: Dr Zaki Wahhaj, School of Economics, and Dr Guy Tchuente, School of Economics.