Sociocultural Factors and Continuing Education Participation Among Igbo Women Traders in Aba, Abia State

This study examined sociocultural factors influencing the participation of Igbo women traders in continuing education programmes in Aba, Abia State, South East Nigeria. Women in the Aba trading community represent a significant population of potential adult education beneficiaries, yet participation rates in formal and non-formal continuing education remain comparatively low despite the community's strong commercial dynamism. The study employed a qualitative phenomenological research design involving in-depth interviews with 22 purposively selected women traders and 8 community stakeholders including market association leaders and adult education programme providers. Data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Findings revealed that participation in continuing education was shaped by a complex interplay of sociocultural factors including culturally defined gender roles that prioritised domestic responsibilities over personal educational development, peer group norms that either endorsed or stigmatised educational pursuit among traders, family financial priorities that deprioritised women's educational expenses, and identity conflicts between successful trader identity and student identity. Women who participated in education-supportive trader networks were significantly more likely to engage in continuing education. Spiritual motivation grounded in religious beliefs about self-improvement emerged as a distinctive and previously undocumented positive participation factor. Recommendations include designing culturally contextualised adult education marketing for the Aba trading community, partnering with market women's associations as programme co-promoters, scheduling programmes to align with market day patterns, and incorporating identity-affirming educational frameworks that honour participants' trader expertise. Keywords: sociocultural factors, continuing education, women traders, Igbo women, Aba.