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Article Title: Empowering Female Youth for Leadership through Higher Education in Nigeria
by Adegun Olajire Adeola and Akomolafe Comfort Olufunke

Abstract:
The contributions of females in the home, workplace, community participation, community management cannot be overlooked. Despite these, female's access to Leadership position has been observed to be limited in the political arena, economy, employment and policy positions due to low level of education. This situation calls for higher education for females due to possible direct relationship between female youth's educational levels and their participation in the labour force. The Nigerian society cannot afford not to have females in leadership positions. The activities of females in management positions in the country presently has convinced all that if more Nigerian female youths are given the right type of education, greater participation among females will emerge in the future. It is in this context that this paper discussed how higher education can empower female youth for future leadership in the nation. The paper highlighted the status of female education in Nigeria, the role of higher education in leadership development as well as the strategies that could be employed to empower female youths for future leadership. Some of these strategies include exposing female youth to leadership initiatives, career concepts and inspiring role models, enriching the curriculum to incorporate courses in leadership education and so on. Empowering females for future leadership has high prospects. It could include increasing female's potentials that will could to building a virile nation, producing better women, better home makers, better future leaders and a better society.

Keywords: youth empowerment, female youth, leadership, higher education, gender inequality, and empowering strategies

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