Street Food Entrepreneurship and Income Generation Among Women in Maiduguri, Borno State

This study examines street food entrepreneurship as a livelihood and income generation strategy for women in Maiduguri, Borno State, North East Nigeria, a city that has experienced prolonged insecurity and economic disruption from the Boko Haram insurgency. Street food vending has absorbed thousands of women displaced or economically marginalised by the conflict, making it a critical grassroots entrepreneurial sector in the post-conflict recovery context. The study employs a descriptive survey approach, recruiting 160 female street food vendors from four major market and motor park locations in Maiduguri through systematic sampling. A structured questionnaire collected data on business profiles, daily income, startup capital sources, operational challenges, and business aspirations. Findings indicate that the median daily net income from street food vending is approximately 2,800 naira, representing a meaningful but precarious livelihood. Initial startup capital predominantly came from personal savings and family contributions, with formal credit access reported by fewer than 10 percent of respondents. Insecurity-related operational disruption, harassment by municipal environmental health officers, high food commodity price volatility, and seasonal demand variation are the most frequently cited challenges. A significant proportion of respondents express aspirations to transition to fixed-location food businesses but cite lack of capital and space rental costs as barriers. The study argues that street food entrepreneurship in post-conflict Maiduguri requires targeted support that recognises its recovery economy function. Keywords: street food entrepreneurship, women entrepreneurs, Maiduguri, post-conflict, income generation.