Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Towards Economic Growth in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper investigated the contributions of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) towards economic growth in Nigeria by considering the proportion of female employed in the labour force relative to male. Annual data from 1990-2019 on female labour force participation rate, male labour force participation rate and total labour force participation rate in the country were collated. Real gross domestic product was employed as a proxy for growth. The existence of cointegration was established between RGDP and the control variables and on this basis, the long and short-term autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model was estimated. The results revealed directly significant relation between female labour force participation rate and real gross domestic product, male labour force participation rate and real gross domestic product and an inversely significant relationship between total labour force participation and real gross domestic product in the short-term. The signs of the estimates remain constant in the long-term. However, the magnitude revealed an opposing result between real gross domestic product and the labour force participation rates in the steady state. The findings led to the conclusion that the economy should focus on scholarship opportunities for female students in STEM in the present period and long-term and continuous investment in the girl-child participation in STEM to spur economic growth in the country.