GENDER GAP IN ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP AND CHALLENGES FACING WOMEN IN SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES IN NIGERIA

This study examines gender gap in entrepreneurial leadership and challenges facing women entrepreneurs of small and medium scale enterprises in Nigeria. The major objective of the study was to determine women entrepreneurs’ capacity in bridging leadership while running small businesses. The study however, employed survey research design as copies of questionnaire were administered and information was generated from respondents that formed the population of the study. The study covered six geo-political zones of Nigeria within the spanned period of 2015 to 2019 and the total population of the study comprised of 839 selected small and medium scale businesses across the zones which also served as the sample size. The study reveals that ethnic-religious, poor access to finance, inadequate training and access to information pose a serious threat to women efforts in Entrepreneurship and SMEs development. On the other hand, women were attracted to small and medium scale enterprises because of the perceived flexibility to manage work and family, this flexibility did not negate the constraints of family responsibilities and helped to account for the fact that many women were sole operators, working part time in the business. The study recommended that, women entrepreneurs should be given adequate entrepreneurial skills through formal education, be granted equal privileges to men in our various communities in the country, and be given both financial and humanitarian support to participate in the entrepreneurship management in order to enhance quality and industrious activities toward entrepreneurship development in Nigeria as well as the globe