There are communal differences. Only 45 per cent of Muslim women in the North want university-educated daughters, compared to 73 per cent of pagan women and 72 per cent of Christian women. All the high-profile educational programmes are about educating 'ignorant' women through vocational training and literacy classes. But here are Nigerian women saying 'What we want is education for our children'. I knew this had to be the authentic voice of the married woman because the researchers also found out that 96 per cent of women had no concept of leisure time, and 84 per cent would like to attend literacy classes but three-quarters wouldn't be able to find the time.
Most Nigerian women have six.
But they know what they want for their children. They would prioritize education. Unfortunately, it seems that the Government is unlikely to listen to them. Elizabeth Obadina is a freelance writer and journalist living in Lagos.