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The purpose of this paper is to examine 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.

The paper 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.

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.

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.

The paper aims to draw on rational choice theory (RCT) to explore factors underpinning the decision by female entrepreneurs in Nigeria to enter self‐employment.

A survey research design involving the use of questionnaire and structured interviews to obtain primary data was adopted. Primary data pertain to 300 female entrepreneurs currently engaged in their businesses in three states within the south‐west of the country. A model developed from reviewed literature and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyse data.

Findings suggest the significance of “educational” and “family” capital, an “internal” orientation to social recognition as well as an “external” environment characterised by deregulation of the economy. Results broadly conform to RCT theory postulates of rational behaviour.

Inter‐regional variances could not be addressed since the data are analysed in aggregate. Analysis of disaggregate data are required to study these differences and also those at the inter‐sector (manufacturing/services, etc.) levels.

Results from the study indicate that the government measures such as de‐regulation which may as yet be in small measures have started to work and that these should be continued. The government can go a step further and identify entrepreneurs with characteristics described in this paper and provide them with the requisite help to get them started on the entrepreneurship route.

The study makes a theoretical contribution by applying the lens of rational choice to this specific context. It also makes an original empirical contribution by focussing on an under‐researched group by examining the influence of personal, social, market and environmental factors on the probability of females becoming entrepreneurs.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that constrain women petty traders' access to microcredit, and the innovative measures they have initiated in order to counter these constraints.

The paper is based on in‐depth interviews with women micro‐entrepreneurs drawn from a convenience sample of 20 petty traders in the market town of Awka – the capital of a state in Eastern Nigeria.

The paper identifies three main constraints – internal, socio‐cultural and policy induced – as the key moderating influences on women petty traders' ability access to micro‐credit.

Considering the sample size and research context, the generalisation of the findings may need to be interpreted with caution. However, the paper finds evidence of most of these findings in other studies on other contexts.

This paper posits that the lack of access to credit promotes market exclusion, and deepens the socioeconomic and political vulnerability of women as a consequence. Such vulnerability has prompted these microenterpreneurs into venturing to alternative sources of credit in the form of “Women August Meetings”. The paper has far reaching implications for public policy support geared towards “leveraging” and mainstreaming these initiatives for maximum outreach.

Previous research in the area of micro‐credit access seem to have paid limited attention to the peculiar challenges of this segment of society, i.e. petty traders, who incidentally also form the bulk of occupants at the bottom‐of‐the‐pyramid.