CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Small-scale businesses, including petty trading, food processing, tailoring, farming enterprises and craft production, are the main source of livelihood for many Nigerian women. Their success depends on practical business skills such as keeping simple records, pricing, calculating profit, saving, managing credit, marketing and dealing with customers. Many of these skills rest on basic literacy and numeracy: a woman who cannot read a receipt, write an order or add up her sales is at a disadvantage in the market. Adult literacy education, which teaches reading, writing and numeracy to adults who missed formal schooling, is therefore a potential foundation for small-scale business skills.

Recent Nigerian studies underline the links between education, skills and women’s enterprise. Awopetu (2025) concludes that economic empowerment through education is a major key to women’s liberation. Obiagu (2023) treats women’s education and economic empowerment as key measures for gender equality. Ukwueze (2022) examines the role of social inclusion in female-owned businesses in Nigeria, together with the economic and non-economic factors that limit them. Babajide et al. (2023) report on the connection between financial literacy, financial capabilities and business practice among small business owners in Nigeria, indicating that knowledge of money management matters for enterprise. Awoniyi and Aromolaran (2025), in a scoping review, found that vocational education can equip individuals with soft and technical skills for lasting income, although inadequate funding, weak infrastructure and poor policies limit its effect. Ali (2024) presents adult education as an alternative route to accelerated socio-economic development.

International policy documents also link adult learning with livelihoods. The Fifth Global Report on Adult Learning and Education emphasises the role of adult learning in enabling adults to participate fully in economic life (UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning [UIL], 2022), and the Marrakech Framework for Action calls for adult learning that responds to people’s needs, including skills for work (UNESCO, 2022). Belete et al. (2022) report that programmes in African community learning centres mainly cover literacy, vocational and income-generation activities.

Yet literacy classes do not always yield practical gains. Kolawole and Pusoetsile (2022) found no significant difference in literacy attainment between participants and non-participants in an adult basic education programme in rural Botswana and related this to weak effectiveness and implementation. Nkansah (2022) found that adult literacy in rural Ghana did not necessarily lead to community development. Akintolu et al. (2022) showed that learner, facilitator and government factors can inhibit adult community learning centres. These studies suggest that whether literacy classes develop business skills depends on curriculum design, quality of facilitation and follow-up support, including whether classes deliberately teach functional, business-related content.

Kano State is the most populous state in Nigeria and a historic centre of trade. Women in many Kano communities engage in home-based enterprises and trade, often within social norms that restrict their movement and limit access to formal schooling. Community literacy centres, which are often located within or near neighbourhoods and can operate at times suited to women’s household duties, are therefore an important channel for reaching them. What is not known is how far attendance at these centres has helped women develop small-scale business skills. This study seeks to establish that.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Community literacy centres in Kano State enrol many women who want to read, write and calculate so that they can run their businesses better. Many women hope to keep records, avoid being cheated, manage savings and expand their trade. Programme providers assume that literacy classes provide the foundation for these skills.

However, there is no clear evidence that women who attend the centres actually acquire business skills. Programme records report enrolment and completion but seldom record whether women can keep records, price goods, calculate profit, save or manage credit. Evidence from elsewhere shows that literacy programmes do not always deliver expected benefits (Kolawole & Pusoetsile, 2022; Nkansah, 2022) and that centre-level constraints affect outcomes (Akintolu et al., 2022). Women also face social and economic constraints that limit the use of skills (Ukwueze, 2022).

Consequently, centre managers, the Kano State agency responsible for adult and non-formal education and partners lack evidence on how far literacy classes contribute to business skills, and on which aspects of instruction, such as numeracy, record-keeping or financial education, deserve emphasis. The problem of this study is therefore the lack of empirical evidence on the effect of adult literacy education on the development of small-scale business skills among women in community literacy centres in Kano State.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study is to determine the effect of adult literacy education on the development of small-scale business skills among women in community literacy centres in Kano State. The specific objectives are to:

1. determine the effect of literacy and numeracy instruction on women’s record-keeping and simple accounting skills;

2. assess its effect on women’s pricing, costing and profit-calculation skills;

3. examine its effect on women’s savings, credit and financial management skills;

4. find out its effect on women’s marketing and customer-handling skills;

5. determine whether these effects differ by age, level of education and type of business; and

6. identify the challenges that limit the development of business skills in the centres.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of literacy education on women’s record-keeping and simple accounting skills?

2. What is its effect on pricing, costing and profit-calculation skills?

3. What is its effect on savings, credit and financial management skills?

4. What is its effect on marketing and customer-handling skills?

5. Do these effects differ by age, education level and type of business?

6. What challenges limit the development of business skills in the centres?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀₁: Adult literacy education has no significant effect on women’s record-keeping and simple accounting skills.

H₀₂: Adult literacy education has no significant effect on women’s pricing, costing and profit-calculation skills.

H₀₃: Adult literacy education has no significant effect on women’s savings and financial management skills.

H₀₄: Adult literacy education has no significant effect on women’s marketing and customer-handling skills.

H₀₅: There is no significant difference in business skills between women who have completed the literacy programme and those who have just enrolled.

1.6 Significance of the Study

Women learners. They will see how literacy classes can be used to strengthen their businesses and which skills they can expect to gain.

Facilitators and centre managers. They will have evidence for adding functional and business-related content to their teaching.

The Kano State agency for adult and non-formal education. Findings can guide curriculum design and resource allocation, including integrating financial literacy and numeracy for enterprise.

Microfinance institutions and development partners. They will understand the skill levels of women in literacy centres and can design training and credit products accordingly, in line with evidence on the importance of financial literacy for small businesses (Babajide et al., 2023).

Families and communities. Stronger women’s enterprises raise household income and local economic activity.

1.7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study is limited to community literacy centres in Kano State. It covers adult women aged 18 years and above who are enrolled in, or have completed, literacy classes and who run or help to run small-scale businesses, together with facilitators. It focuses on four groups of business skills: record-keeping and accounting, pricing and costing, savings and financial management, and marketing and customer handling. It does not cover large enterprises, formal employment or vocational training as such.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

The study is limited to community literacy centres in Kano State and cannot be generalised to other states. Women may be reluctant to discuss business income and practices, and cultural norms may limit access to some respondents; female research assistants and confidentiality assurances were used to reduce this. Because many respondents have limited literacy, items will be read aloud in Hausa. Business skills are also influenced by experience, family support and access to credit, so the study can establish association and perceived effect more confidently than strict causation.

1.9 Operational Definition of Terms

Adult literacy education: organised instruction in reading, writing and numeracy for adults who missed or did not complete formal schooling.

Small-scale business: a small enterprise, usually owned and run by an individual or family, with limited capital and few or no employees, such as petty trading, food processing or tailoring.

Business skills: practical abilities needed to run a small business, including record-keeping, pricing, costing, saving, financial management and marketing.

Record-keeping: writing down sales, purchases, expenses and debts.

Financial management: planning, saving, spending and borrowing money in ways that sustain a business.

Community literacy centre: a neighbourhood or village learning centre where adult literacy classes are held regularly.

References

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Ali, M. A. (2024). Adult education as an alternative option for accelerated socio-economic development of Nigeria. Journal of Continuing and Development Education, 4(1), 183–197. https://journalcde.com/index.php/jcde/article/view/123

Awoniyi, B. K., & Aromolaran, O. F. (2025). Vocational education: Key to provision of specialised occupation for self-reliance in Nigeria. Euro Global Contemporary Studies Journal, 5(3), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15667534

Awopetu, A. (2025). Educational and economic empowerment of women for sustainable development in Nigeria. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(3), 5287–5293.

Babajide, A., Osabuohien, E., Tunji-Olayeni, P., Falola, H., Amodu, L., Olokoyo, F., & Ehikioya, B. (2023). Financial literacy, financial capabilities, and sustainable business model practice among small business owners in Nigeria. Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, 13(4), 1670–1692.

Belete, S., Duke, C., Hinzen, H., et al. (2022). Community learning centres (CLCs) for adult learning and education (ALE): Development in and by communities. International Review of Education, 68. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-022-09954-w

Kolawole, O. D., & Pusoetsile, T. (2022). What difference does literacy make among adult learners? Impact of adult basic education programme in a rural community in Botswana. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, 28(1), 227–251. https://doi.org/10.1177/14779714211007495

Nkansah, T. (2022). The role of adult literacy in community development in Ghana: Perceptions and experiences of two rural communities. The International Journal of Community and Social Development, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/25166026221110728

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UNESCO. (2022). Marrakech Framework for Action: Harnessing the transformational power of adult learning and education (Seventh International Conference on Adult Education). UNESCO.

UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. (2022). 5th global report on adult learning and education: Citizenship education – Empowering adults for change. UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning.