Women’s contributions to development have greatly enhanced the standard of living and quality of lives in their different homes and communities. They produce about eighty percent of the nation’s food and engage in cottage and micro enterprises as vital and productive contributors to the national economy [1]. As such, the involvement of women in various entrepreneurial activities has empowered them in social, economic and cultural fields.

Women entrepreneurs in Nigeria are the key to economic growth because they are generating employment. But women owned businesses could contribute more than what they are doing today. Women enterprises are beset with huge challenges. A great challenge to women enterprises is insecurity issues.

Entrepreneurial activities have also been found to be a panacea for poverty alleviation among women in developing countries [2]. Entrepreneurial activities are embedded in both formal and informal economy. Researchers like; Buttner and Moore [3], Aina [4] have recognised the increasing influx of women into enterprises in the informal economy. Although, Nigerian government recognizes that women entrepreneurs have not been on an equal footing with men when it comes to their access to opportunities and assets, it is yet to effectively address the barriers facing women in entrepreneurship and security issues which include kidnapping and armed robbery among others [5].

The alarming level of insecurity in Nigeria has fuelled crime rate and terrorists attacks in different parts of the country, leaving unpalatable consequences for the nation’s economy and its growth. According to Omoyibo and Akpomera [6], security is a concept that is prior to the state and the state exists in order to provide that concept. Security is the prime responsibility of the state. The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria specifically states that “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”. Unfortunately, government has failed to provide a secured and safe environment for lives, properties and the conduct of business and economic activities. To address the threat  to national security and combat the increasing waves of crime, the federal government in the 2013 budget made a huge allocation to security and the national assembly passed the Anti-Terrorism Act in 2011 [7]. Despite the plethora of security measures taken to address the daunting challenges of insecurity in Nigeria, government efforts have not produced the desired positive result. This has compelled the Nigerian government in recent time to request for foreign assistance from countries such as United State of America, Israel and European Union countries to combat the rising waves of terrorism and insecurity.

Insecurity poses great challenges in a nation. For instance, it will be difficult for women to participate in entrepreneurship. There will be disruption of socio-economic activities and livelihoods and increased economic hardships among others [8].

Whereas, with the contributions of women remains significant cases of armed robbery absent now in Nigeria, to the extent that while engaging in entrepreneurial activities, entrepreneurs are attacked and robbed. In the study area, several shops were burgled during the last festive season to the extent that the local guards were killed. Also, while travelling to purchase materials of production and consumption women entrepreneurs were attached and robbed. Families had to raise money to assist in restocking and building these women’s enterprises. This is a big blow to the growth of the businesses and community economy at large.

Problem of the Study 

Women entrepreneurs in Ondo State face unique challenges because of the geographical location and social set up of their businesses. They operate in an environment with demographic characteristics, security risk such as armed robbery had hampered the growth of their enterprises leading to stunting or collapse of the business. This study therefore, sought to establish armed robbery as a determinant of women’s participation in entrepreneurial activities in Ondo State.

Research Questions

• How do armed robbery cases affect women’s participation in entrepreneurial activities

Armed Robbery and Women Entrepreneur

Armed robbery as defined by Decree 2 of the Federal military government, states that it constitutes the taking of property from a person who has ownership of such property, either with force or the threat of force, before, during or after the taking of such property, against the wish of the owner.

Armed robbery seems to constitute the greatest numbers of all violations of criminal laws that are either reported to the police or even go unreported. Robbery, particularly armed robbery is a common phenomenon and daily occurrences in Nigeria [9]. Besides remaining one of the frequent and most dreadful crimes in contemporary times. Shopeju supports the view of the pervasiveness of armed robbery in contemporary Nigeria when he asserts that armed robbery is a common phenomenon and inundated with national outcry for the public to assist the police in the fight against this menace. Nowadays, modern day armed robbery amongst many other crimes that bear semblance of foreign character is such a pervasive problem that it barely leaves few Nigerians untouched and unharmed. Certainly, armed robbery seems a most social cankerworm confronting contemporary Nigeria and in instances, has been used as excuse to topple democratically elected or on-the-ruling government. Armed robbery in contemporary Nigeria takes various forms and in places, ranging from waylaying victims on the highways and on transit points; storming residences, commercial buildings, public and private establishments, religious places; by system of manoeuvring geared towards outwitting victims skilfully; and holding up banks. It looks somewhat unique in nature and outlook. The lost materials and above all, human resources arising from it are better imagined than revealed [10].

• Never travel at night. Armed robbery is always everywhere in Nigeria but is much worse at night…Daytime travel isn’t safe but it is much safer than nighttimes travel. Never carry all your money with you. If you get robbed and they find your money (and yes, they will, no matter how clever you think you are), you’ll end up penniless in a country that doesn’t know the meaning of the word “credit cards”, “wire transfers”, “ATM” or “bank credit”. Although the new government is making inroads into the problem, it is still serious and the possibility it could happen to you quite real. The best defence is to be prepared…Daily Times, 2000

Armed robbery remains one of the most singular leading causes of fear day and night among many contemporary Nigerians. It pervades all corners of the country. It holes people in their rooms, scared travellers, brings poverty to the people, deprives people of their loved ones and makes the police somewhat inefficient and look like pawns. Quite a good number of the Nigerian public has resorted to spiritual salvation from the pawn of these robbers. Citizens have simply become disillusioned with the authority’s approach to the menace of armed robbery [8].

Insecurity in Nigeria 

Security challenges in Africa and Nigeria in particular is not a novel. In ancient times, the medieval people devised means to provide and safeguard themselves against harms or danger especially in times of war and other serious security threats. Some of the security measures they employed then include building of canals, trenches, watch towers, moult, high walls, hill tops gullies, caves among others. Insecurity is lack of protection and exposure of lives and properties of individual, groups, communities or state to imminent danger either physically, emotionally or otherwise which affect their core values and interest. The reality of security challenges in Nigeria has truncated, dwindled, extinct and liquidated so many entrepreneurial activities in the country especially in places like Borno, Kano, Kadunna, Yobe, Benue, Kogi, Enugu, Ondo among others. Omede posited that insecurity is a dynamic condition in which states encounter all threats to its core values and interest. 

Ewetan and Urhie [11] sees insecurity as the breach of peace and security where historical, religious, ethno-regional contributes to recurring conflicts and leads to wanton destruction of lives and property. Beland [12] argued that insecurity is the state of fear or anxiety as a result of inadequate freedom from danger. Achumba et al. [13] posited that insecurity is a condition of susceptibility to harm and exposure to risk and anxiety of anticipated misfortune. They described insecurity as not knowing, a lack of control and instability to take defensive action against forces that portend harm or danger to an individual or groups or what makes them vulnerable. They classified the causes of insecurity as remote, proximate and intermediate sources/causal factors and noted that the root causes of insecurity include lack of institutional capacity resulting in government failure, pervasive material inequalities and unfairness, ethno-religious conflicts, conflicts of perception between the public and the government. Other factors which are proximate include porous borders, rural/urban drift, social irresponsibility of companies, unemployment/ poverty and terrorism among others. Hazen and Horner [14] noted the influx of small arms and light weapons into the country which has aided militancy and criminality in Nigeria as a result of porous border. Iyare [15] posited that corruption hampers economic growth, disproportionately burdens the poor and undermine the effectiveness of women participation in entrepreneurial activities.

Insecurity can be highly traceable to the inequitable distribution of natural resources, both human and material in all facets of any society be it economical, political, religious, socio-cultural and among others. People struggle to get fair share of power, position, natural resources which most time result to violence, killings, kidnapping, armed robbery, maiming and wanton destruction. Adagba et al. [16] argued that scarce resources, power, position and other related issues have resulted in wanton killings and violence among groups in Nigeria. Nigeria is richly endowed with resources both human and material which are not equitably distributed and this has resulted in the struggle for a fair share by the large populace and unfortunately avarice crept into the process. This struggle resulted to different ugly incident and happenings ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery, hatred, jealousy, killings, maiming, deception, thuggery, violence, youth restiveness and other social vices among others.

The security challenges facing Nigeria and Ondo state in particular has affected businesses and business owners, entrepreneurial activities and entrepreneurs. Cases of armed robbery attacks, kidnapping, stealing, frauds both online or otherwise are highly prevalent in Akoko Metropolis and many businessmen have been abducted whereby huge ransom were paid from their business finances and some even lost their lives in the process. The recent kidnap of Chief Olu Falae in Akure Ondo State has once again brought to the fore this unresolved social menace. The Nigerian state, along with its security apparatus look on despondently and clueless as to how to respond or solve this menace outside the reactive, ineffective modus operandi that have given them a bad name in the country. Unfortunately, till date the justice system is yet to punish significant amount of offenders to serve as deterrence. Ajao lamented how kidnapping has become a threat to lives and property especially in the South West, South-South and South-East zone of Nigeria. This was corroborated by Igbuzor who attributed the state of insecurity in Nigeria to government failure. Onouha [17] equally noted that large numbers of Nigerians are despaired, frustrated and hopeless because of insecurity.

Women’s Participation in Entrepreneurial Activities

Women’s participation in entrepreneurial activities, particularly in industry, empowers them economically and enables them to contribute more to overall development. Whether they are involved in small or medium scale production activities or in the informal or formal sectors, women’s participation in entrepreneurial activities are not only a means for economic survival but also have positive social repercussions for the women themselves and their social environment [8]. The rate of women’s participation in the informal sector of the economy is higher than males [18,19]. Lack of capital to start or run business led them to request for credits from micro-finance institutions [20]. This is due to poverty, unemployment, low household and business income and inability to save [21,22]. Women entrepreneurs, mostly in developing countries, lack the ability to save [18], yet savings are needed to protect income, act as a security for loan and could be re-invested in the business [18]. Despite the crucial role of women entrepreneurs in the economic development of their families and countries; it is, however, discovered that women entrepreneur show low business performance compared to their male counterparts [18] and this is caused by factors which normally affect entrepreneurial performance. Such factors include lack of credit, saving, education or training and social capital [23].

Women entrepreneurs around the world contribute numerous ideas and a great deal of energy and capital resources to their communities and generate jobs as well as create additional work for suppliers and other spin-off business linkages. Siwadi and Mhangami [24] adds that it is undeniable that women entrepreneurs are the major actors in that sector and contributors to economic development and are becoming increasingly visible in the local economies of the developing counties. Promoting women’s economic and political empowerment has gained greater attention over the last three decades. Women entrepreneurs, especially in developing countries, lack training [25] and entrepreneurial process which are vital sources of developing human capital as well as plays a crucial role in providing learning opportunity for individuals to improve their skills, attitudes and abilities [23].

The study was conducted in Akoko North East Local Government Area of Ondo State while the target population are women entrepreneurs in Auto Business, Retail Shops, Clothes Business, Service Rending Businesses and livestock dealers in Ondo State. The estimated population in the age range (20-54 years) categories were 40,117 women entrepreneurs from Akoko North East Local Government Area of Ondo State (Ondo State Bureau of Statistics, 2006). A total population of eighty (80) women entrepreneurs were selected using simple random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used for the study to elicit information from the respondents.

The result in Table 1, revealed that 29% of the respondents were within the age grouping of 25 years and below, 27% were between the ages of 26 and 30 years, 15% were aged between 31 and 35 years, 10% were between 36 and 40 years, 8% were aged between 41 and 45 years, while 10% were 46 years of age and above. This implies that most of the highest grouping represented were those from 25 years of age and below, while the least were those between 41 and 45 years of age. The marital status distribution of the respondents showed that 35% were single, 56% were married, 3% were divorced, while 6% of the respondents were widow. On the bases of educational qualification, it was noted that 6% of the respondents had no formal education, 5% had just primary form of education, 26% had secondary education, 40% had NCE/ND form of education while those that attained the level of first degree were 23%. This shows that majority of the respondents are literates.

Table 1: Frequency Distribution on Demographic Characteristics of Respondents

From the Table 2, the response on statement regarding armed robbery cases affect women’s participation in entrepreneurial activities in Ondo State revealed that majority agreed that women risk insecurity measure like kidnapping while embarking on entrepreneurial activities, thus this limits their involvement in such activities. This was such that 86% agreed, while 14% disagreed. The result also indicated that majority of 85% of the respondents agreed that whenever there is armed robbery incidence, women enterprises are the most affected. About 88.5% of the respondents agreed that armed robbery cases in this area have an impact on women in business enterprises while 11.5% disagreed. It was further indicated that occasionally, some businesses make one work at night and hence, one a prone being robbed. This was with 95% agreement and 5% disagreement. Majority of the responding women 81% agreed that Women who involve themselves in business are despised by other women. Lastly, 81% of the respondents affirmed that I was left with nothing after being robbed. Armed robbery cases depends on the extent to which the group and individual offenders associate with regions, ethnic or community, which continued to embrace this western ideas and idiosyncrasies in wholesome [26].

Table 2: Frequency distribution on statement regarding armed robbery affecting women’s participation in entrepreneurial activities

The study concluded that armed robbery as a determinant of women’s participation in entrepreneurial activities. Armed robbery incidence affected them to participate in entrepreneurial activities. Age, marital status, level of educational, lack of networks and role models, harsh climatic conditions and lack of technological knowhow were other factors that influenced women participation in entrepreneurial activities. This proves that security reasons hinder the participation of women in entrepreneurial activities, thus women’s participation in entrepreneurial activities are affected negatively by poor level of guaranteed security. It was recommended among other that Government should give attention to social problems such as persistence of unemployment, get rich quick syndrome, weakness of the state security, with a view to curbing its escalation. Government should put in place welfare packages to cushions the effect on women entrepreneurs who lost to armed robbery attack while families, friends and general public should lend a hand to concerned women entrepreneurs.

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