Adult Education and Entrepreneurship Development Among Women in Imo State

This study investigates the relationship between adult education participation and entrepreneurship development outcomes among women in Imo State, South East Nigeria. Women entrepreneurs in Imo State operate predominantly in the informal economy, where limited business education restricts enterprise growth and formalisation. Adult education programmes that incorporate entrepreneurship skills, business record-keeping, and market access knowledge have been introduced in several local government areas, but their entrepreneurship outcomes among women have not been systematically evaluated. This study uses a descriptive survey design, collecting data from 210 women in Owerri, Orlu, and Okigwe zones who participated in adult education programmes with entrepreneurship components in the past three years. Entrepreneurship outcomes assessed include business planning capability, financial management practices, market diversification, and business growth intention. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis are applied. Findings reveal that programme participants demonstrate significantly stronger business planning and financial management competencies than non-participants. Revenue growth is positively correlated with both programme duration and entrepreneurship module intensity. Women who participated in savings group linkages alongside adult education show the strongest enterprise growth outcomes. Access to business startup capital remains the most frequently cited post-training challenge. The study concludes that adult education with robust entrepreneurship integration meaningfully advances women's enterprise development in Imo State. It recommends that the Imo State Adult Education Board formalise entrepreneurship modules and establish post-programme microfinance linkage protocols to sustain enterprise development outcomes.

Keywords: entrepreneurship development, adult education, women, Imo State, business skills.