Women, educational qualifications and political representation: a Nigerian field study

Women’s political underrepresentation in Nigeria persists despite improvements in female educational attainment. Education is often assumed to enhance political ambition and increase the likelihood of candidacy. However, empirical evidence on its effects in developing democracies remains limited. In contexts like Nigeria, women’s political participation is also shaped by informal political structures which includes family support systems, patronage networks and access to political financing. This research examines whether post-minimum educational qualifications influence women’s decisions to contest political positions in Nigeria using the modernisation and elite theoretical perspectives. To achieve this, the study analysed 2023 electoral data, and a cross-sectional survey of 377 respondents was conducted and analysed using a linear regression to assess the relationship between educational qualifications and women’s likelihood of contesting political positions. Findings indicate no statistically significant relationship between higher educational attainment and women’s candidacy decisions. Thus, advanced educational qualifications do not appear to increase women’s likelihood of contesting political positions in Nigeria, suggesting that structural and institutional dynamics within the Nigerian political system may play a more significant role than formal educational credentials in shaping women’s access to political office.