The role of cultural values in understanding the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs in Nigeria

This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here (http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/4036). Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.Purpose: This paper examines the challenges female entrepreneurs face in the development of their business in the context of Nigeria. In so doing, it addresses a gap in the literature on the experiences of female entrepreneurs in a non-Western context and acknowledges the contribution that women make in this area of work. Design: It draws on survey data from 274 female entrepreneurs currently engaged in their businesses in three states—Lagos (Nigeria’s largest city), Ogun, and Oyo within the south west of Nigeria. Findings: Results indicate that female entrepreneurs are generally confident and resourceful and that they enjoy the challenge of entrepreneurial activity. As in the West, they experience difficulties relating to family commitments and access to finance – as well as problems gaining acceptance and accessing networks. Originality: It is argued that cultural values specific to the situation mean that these challenges, while common to female entrepreneurs in other national contexts, ‘play out’ differentially and that they are experienced with different levels of depth and ‘intensity’. It is also argued that future research might uncover at a deeper level and drawing on qualitative methodology how some of the factors identified are experienced in women’s day to day lives. The paper suggests some policy implications in the form of support for female entrepreneurs in this context

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We present the results of a near-infrared and X-ray study of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 3281. Emission from the Seyfert nucleus is detected in both regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing us to infer both the equivalent line of sight hydrogen column density, N_H = 71.0(+11.3,-12.3)e26/m^2 and the extinction due to dust, A_V = 22+/-11 magnitudes (90% confidence intervals). We infer a ratio of N_H/A_V which is an order of magnitude larger than that determined along lines of sight in the Milky Way and discuss possible interpretations. We consider the most plausible explanation to be a dense cloud in the foreground of both the X-ray and infrared emitting regions which obscures the entire X-ray source but only a fraction of the much larger infrared source.Comment: 23 pages including 9 figure

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