Drivers, barbers or shoemakers: the economic crisis opens the doors of male-dominated professions to Nigerian women

Iyabo Ibrahim earned a living selling fufu , a dish made from cassava, on the streets of Kuntu, in Kwara State, Nigeria . However, when the price of cassava began to rise in 2020, he no longer earned enough to support his nine children. Domestic work was also not an option, as it was very poorly paid. So he made a risky decision: to drive tricycles used for transporting people or goods, a job dominated by men.

Despite being pregnant and facing the dangers of learning to drive on roads packed with trucks, as well as the stigma of being a woman in a male-dominated industry , she persevered. Now she works day shifts, and sometimes nights, to pay for her children's school fees and rent. “I had just given birth, but I went back to work before my baby was 41 days old,” she says. “I didn't have a father or any family to support me, so I had to find a solution.”

Iyabo is not an isolated case. Increasingly, Nigerian women are entering professions traditionally reserved for men. The main reason is the economic crisis, which is driving up the cost of living, and the desire to change the cultural and social norms that have excluded them from certain sectors.

Some men cut my threads with their feet, just to annoy me. They say a woman shouldn't do this job.

Suleiman Barakat, weaver

The country, which is experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades, has seen inflation rise to over 30% and unemployment and poverty rates increase. In Nigeria, 30.9% of the population lives below the extreme poverty line , on less than $2.15 a day. While recent and precise figures on informality in Nigeria are unavailable, World Bank data indicates that it is widespread across various economic sectors. A 2015 study by the same source estimated that the informality rate in non-agricultural jobs exceeded 80% .

A report by the African Development Bank published in November 2024 concluded that African women “are more likely to perform vulnerable jobs in the informal sector, resulting in lower incomes and worse working conditions” and “continue to bear a very unequal burden of unpaid domestic and care work that keeps them away from paid employment.”

Meanwhile, figures from the Council on Foreign Relations' Women and Foreign Policy program revealed just over five years ago that Nigeria's economy could grow by 23% by 2025 if women entered the workforce at the same rate as men. However, the World Economic Forum, in its 2025 Global Gender Gap Index , ranked Nigeria 124th out of 148 countries.

Mahmud Olayinka Shaffau, a 35-year-old married woman from the community of Ajikobi in Kwara State, decided to become a shoemaker to ease her family's financial burden. A mother of five, she started in the trade after getting married, convinced that being a woman in a male-dominated industry would attract customers. "Since it's a job I know very well, I thank God for the number of customers I've had since I started three years ago," she told this newspaper. Her income has allowed her to buy shoes for her children without depending on her husband for everything.

However, learning the trade brought her personal difficulties. Because she was breastfeeding, she was often late for lessons and had to endure insults from her instructor, who was younger than her. “He spoke to me in a nasty tone and said things like, ‘If you’re not interested in learning the trade, you should stop coming,’” she recalls. Today, she has her own business and trains young women in her community.

There were even women who forbade their children from coming to my salon. They felt it was inappropriate for a woman to cut hair.

Maryam Muhammad, hairdresser

Equal pay

Suleiman Barakat, a 22-year-old artisan weaver from the Kuntu community in Kwara State, also ended up in a profession primarily held by men, after finishing high school and training as a hairdresser. Since she couldn't open her own salon at the time, weaving, despite being physically demanding, seemed like a viable alternative. “I was offered a job as a saleswoman, but the salary was very low, about 10,000 naira (5.68 euros) a month,” she explains. “Weaving pays me more than double that and has allowed me to take care of myself and even help my family,” she says happily.

Barakat starts work every morning after finishing her housework and weaves under the scorching sun until nightfall, taking frequent breaks due to exhaustion and back pain. But the worst part, she says, is the discrimination. “Some men cut my threads with their feet, just to annoy me,” she explains. “They say a woman shouldn’t do this work.” However, over time, she has proven her skill and earned the trust of those who once doubted her, who now place orders with her. “As long as I can make money doing this, I’ll keep doing it, until I can open my own hair salon,” she adds.

Maryam Muhammad, 24, did manage to open a hair salon in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, despite the sexist norms that still prevail in her conservative community. She learned the trade thanks to male friends who supported her. But when she opened her salon, nothing was easy. “There were even women who forbade their sons from coming to my shop because they thought it was inappropriate for a woman to cut hair,” she laments. “But over time, people saw that I needed this job and, little by little, they started sending their sons to me,” she explains.

Today, Muhammad caters to a growing clientele, including women who feel increasingly comfortable with her. Known for her elaborate haircut designs, she acknowledges that people are often surprised by her skill. “They don’t expect a woman to be so skilled,” she says with a smile. Although power outages and the cost of fuel impact her work, she is determined to persevere. “My passion and the income I earn help me keep going,” she explains. “I want more women in this industry so we can work wonders with people’s hair,” she urges.

Favour Adeboye , a Nigerian gender equality activist, welcomes this progress and calls for clearer legal guidelines to protect women and promote equal pay. “Policies must guarantee financial justice, job security, and safe working environments,” she says.

For Bello Audu, an economist at Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Nigeria, the arrival of women in traditionally male-dominated fields “is not just an economic solution, but a reflection of globalization.” “But cultural and religious norms continue to restrict and define the roles they can play. Many still believe that certain professions are off-limits to them,” the expert concludes.