Gender Gap in Human Capital Development within Entrepreneurship: A Qualitative Analysis of Igbo Society

Abstract This qualitative study investigates how structural and cultural mechanisms within indigenous Igbo business mentorship in south-eastern Nigeria systematically restrict female entrepreneurial inclusion and human capital development. Grounded in Liberal and Socialist Feminist Theories, the study utilizes NVivo to analyze 45 semi-structured interviews with established entrepreneurs across major commercial hubs in Lagos (Ladipo, Alaba International, and Idumota markets). The findings reveal three primary barriers to female participation: first, the protracted five-to-seven-year training timeline directly conflicts with socio-biological expectations for early marriage; second, strict mandatory residency with male trade masters triggers profound societal anxieties regarding female purity, safety, and moral propriety; and third, the patrilineal Umunna system prioritizes male children for wealth and trade secret transmission, viewing investments in daughters as an economic loss because they eventually "marry out" of the lineage. Additionally, major commercial sectors are culturally coded as masculine due to the physical exertion required for heavy commodities, and hyper-competitive market dynamics expose women to disproportionate risks of gender-based harassment and physical vulnerability. The study concludes that the IIBM structurally reinforces a male-centric ecosystem, demonstrating that promoting equitable economic transformation and gender-inclusive entrepreneurship in the Global South requires dismantling these deeply localized institutional and socio-cultural barriers.