ABSTRACT
This study examined the access to and utilization of information for economic empowerment among widows in Zaria Local Government Area, Kaduna State. It addressed five research questions and tested two null hypotheses. The study aimed to identify the types of information available for economic empowerment, how widows accessed this information, the extent of its utilization, its purposes, and the challenges faced in accessing it.
A quantitative approach was employed, using a cross-sectional survey design. The study population consisted of 1,280 widows registered with NGOs across thirteen wards in Zaria Local Government. Simple random sampling was used to select 30% of the wards and 30% of the widows within each ward, resulting in a sample of 128 widows. A structured questionnaire was administered to these 128 widows, with 126 completed and valid responses received.
Data was organized and analyzed using frequency distribution tables, percentages, mean, and standard deviation. One-way ANOVA was used to test the hypotheses. Findings revealed that most widows accessed information related to entrepreneurship and contribution groups for economic empowerment. The primary sources of information were radio and women leaders, with entrepreneurship information being the most utilized. The main purposes for utilizing this information included improving well-being, reducing poverty, achieving educational upliftment, and attaining financial independence. Challenges faced by the widows included costs, lack of training in skill acquisition, and inaccessibility of information.
The study recommends that information providers establish community information centers and design awareness campaigns on various types of economic empowerment information through NGOs, religious organizations, and businesses. Additionally, it suggests that development agencies organize training programs to address the identified challenges.
