Home Economics is a skill-oriented discipline with potential to address unemployment, poverty, and related social challenges in Nigeria. Despite the implementation of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), achieving its core objectives of poverty reduction, employment generation, and wealth creation, remains a challenge. This study therefore examined how knowledge and skills acquired in Home Economics can contribute to the realization of these objectives, particularly among youth. A descriptive survey design was adopted using a purposive sample of 1,199 undergraduate students from the Department of Vocational and Technical Education, University of Benin, Nigeria. Data was collected by the use of a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that over 70% of respondents agreed that skills acquired in Home Economics, such as catering, fashion design, interior decoration, bead making, and childcare can significantly promote poverty reduction, employment generation, and wealth creation. High levels of agreement were recorded across all three NEEDS objectives, indicating strong perceived relevance of Home Economics in economic empowerment. The study concludes that Home Economics is a viable mechanism for achieving key objectives of NEEDS. It recommends increased government support and enrollment in Home Economics programs to enhance skill acquisition, foster self-reliance, promote job creation, and reduce poverty and social vices associated with unemployment.
| Published in | International Journal of Vocational Education and Training Research (Volume 12, Issue 1) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ijvetr.20261201.11 |
| Page(s) | 1-8 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Poverty Reduction, Wealth Creation, Curriculum Development, Unemployment, Societal Menace
Programme Title | Main Objective (s) | Source/Citation | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
Structural Adjustment (SAP) | Diversify the productive base of the economy and curtail dependence on oil. Achieve fiscal and balance payment viability and improve efficiency through private-led development. | [1, 32] https://nairametrics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Nigeria_proposal.pdf | June 1986 |
Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) | To bring about increased and self-sufficiency in food production in Nigeria. | [5] https://www.irglobal.com/article/impact-of-selected-agricultural-policies-and-intervention-programs-in-nigeria-1960-till-date/ | May 1976 |
Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP) | The programme stressed on areas like health, education, women in development, agriculture, child welfare and youth development, disability, destitution, income generation. | [5] https://www.irglobal.com/article/impact-of-selected-agricultural-policies-and-intervention-programs-in-nigeria-1960-till-date/ | 1996 |
Family Support Program (FSP) | Stimulate and motivate rural women towards achieving better living standards. Encourage recreation and enrich family life; and inculcate the spirit of self-development in health, education, women in development, agriculture, child welfare and youth development, and income generation. | [5] https://www.irglobal.com/article/impact-of-selected-agricultural-policies-and-intervention-programs-in-nigeria-1960-till-date/ | 1994 |
Poverty Alleviation Program (PAP) | Employment generation. | [6] . file: ///C: /Users/user/Downloads/47564-Article%20Text-59294-1-10-20091106.pdf | 2000 |
National Economic Empowerment Development Strategies (NEEDS) | Poverty eradication, employment generation, wealth creation and value reorientation. | [5, 23] https://www.irglobal.com/article/impact-of-selected-agricultural-policies-and-intervention-programs-in-nigeria-1960-till-date/ | 1999 |
National Poverty Eradication Program (NAPEP) | Reduction of poverty. | [36] http://www.napep.gov.ng/ | 2001 |
Micro Credit Scheme (MCS) | Poverty eradication. | [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Poverty_Eradication_Programme | 2005 |
Variables | Attributes | Frequency | Percent (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Age (years) | 15-20 | 310 | 25.9 |
21-25 | 786 | 65.5 | |
26-30 | 103 | 8.60 | |
Sex | Male | 517 | 43.10 |
Female | 682 | 56.90 | |
Marital Status | Single | 1158 | 96.60 |
Married | 41 | 3.40 | |
Educational Attainment (Level) | Year 2 | 579 | 48.30 |
Year 3 | 289 | 24.10 | |
Year 4 | 331 | 27.60 |
S/N | Sub discipline of Home Economics | NEEDS first objective (poverty reduction). | |
|---|---|---|---|
Strongly Agreed | Disagree | ||
1 | To what extent can catering skills eradicate poverty? | 1,158 (96.55%) | 41 (3.45%) |
2 | To what extent can fashion designing skills eradicate poverty? | 1,095 (91.4%) | 103 (8.6%) |
3 | To what extent can interior decoration skills reduce poverty? | 1,054 (87.9%) | 145 (12.1%) |
4 | To what extent can bead making skills eradicate poverty? | 971 (81%) | 228 (19%) |
5 | To what extent can childcare service skills help to eradicate poverty? | 910 (75.9°/o) | 289 (24.1%) |
S/N | Home Economics discipline | NEEDS second objective (employment generation) | |
|---|---|---|---|
Strongly Agreed | Disagreed | ||
6. | To what extent can Home Economics skills help in skill acquisition? | 1137 (94.8%) | 62 (5.2%) |
7. | To what extent have I been able to create jobs for others because of my knowledge in Home Economics? | 620 (51.7%) | 579 (48.3%) |
8. | To what extent can Home Economics skills make one self-employed? | 1034 (86.2%) | 165 (13.8%) |
9. | To what extent can Home Economics skills reduce unemployment? | 1137 (94.8%) | 62 (5.2%) |
10. | To what extent can Home Economics skills generate employment? | 1076 (89.7%) | 123 (10.3%) |
S/N | Home Economics Discipline | NEEDS third objective (wealth creation) | |
|---|---|---|---|
Strongly Agreed | Disagree | ||
11. | To what extent can Home Economics skills aid economic growth? | 1199 (100%) | 0 (0%) |
12. | To what extent can Home Economics skills generate wealth? | 1179 (98.3%) | 20 (1.7%) |
13. | To what extent can Home Economics skills make people self-reliant and independent financially? | 1054 (87.9%) | 145 (12.1%) |
14. | To what extent can Home Economics knowledge lead to creation of wealth? | 1054 (87.9%) | 145 (12.1%) |
15. | To what extent can training in Home Economics increase the capacity to generate wealth? | 1034 (86.2%) | 165 (13.8%) |
NEEDS | National Economic Empowerment Development Strategies |
SME | Small and Medium Scale Enterprises |
SAP | Structural Adjustment Program |
OFN | Operation Feed the Nation |
FEAP | Family Economic Advancement Program |
FSP | Family Support Programme |
PAP | Poverty Alleviation Programme |
NAPEP | National Poverty Eradication Program |
MCS | Micro Credit Scheme |
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APA Style
Omorogieva, O. R., Nwabah, N. (2026). Home Economics as Mechanism for Actualizing Nigeria’s National Economic Empowerment Development Strategies. International Journal of Vocational Education and Training Research, 12(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijvetr.20261201.11
ACS Style
Omorogieva, O. R.; Nwabah, N. Home Economics as Mechanism for Actualizing Nigeria’s National Economic Empowerment Development Strategies. Int. J. Vocat. Educ. Train. Res. 2026, 12(1), 1-8. doi: 10.11648/j.ijvetr.20261201.11
@article{10.11648/j.ijvetr.20261201.11,
author = {Oghenero Ruth Omorogieva and Nkeiruka Nwabah},
title = {Home Economics as Mechanism for Actualizing Nigeria’s National Economic Empowerment Development Strategies},
journal = {International Journal of Vocational Education and Training Research},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {1-8},
doi = {10.11648/j.ijvetr.20261201.11},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijvetr.20261201.11},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijvetr.20261201.11},
abstract = {Home Economics is a skill-oriented discipline with potential to address unemployment, poverty, and related social challenges in Nigeria. Despite the implementation of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), achieving its core objectives of poverty reduction, employment generation, and wealth creation, remains a challenge. This study therefore examined how knowledge and skills acquired in Home Economics can contribute to the realization of these objectives, particularly among youth. A descriptive survey design was adopted using a purposive sample of 1,199 undergraduate students from the Department of Vocational and Technical Education, University of Benin, Nigeria. Data was collected by the use of a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that over 70% of respondents agreed that skills acquired in Home Economics, such as catering, fashion design, interior decoration, bead making, and childcare can significantly promote poverty reduction, employment generation, and wealth creation. High levels of agreement were recorded across all three NEEDS objectives, indicating strong perceived relevance of Home Economics in economic empowerment. The study concludes that Home Economics is a viable mechanism for achieving key objectives of NEEDS. It recommends increased government support and enrollment in Home Economics programs to enhance skill acquisition, foster self-reliance, promote job creation, and reduce poverty and social vices associated with unemployment.},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Home Economics as Mechanism for Actualizing Nigeria’s National Economic Empowerment Development Strategies AU - Oghenero Ruth Omorogieva AU - Nkeiruka Nwabah Y1 - 2026/05/28 PY - 2026 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijvetr.20261201.11 DO - 10.11648/j.ijvetr.20261201.11 T2 - International Journal of Vocational Education and Training Research JF - International Journal of Vocational Education and Training Research JO - International Journal of Vocational Education and Training Research SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2469-8199 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijvetr.20261201.11 AB - Home Economics is a skill-oriented discipline with potential to address unemployment, poverty, and related social challenges in Nigeria. Despite the implementation of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), achieving its core objectives of poverty reduction, employment generation, and wealth creation, remains a challenge. This study therefore examined how knowledge and skills acquired in Home Economics can contribute to the realization of these objectives, particularly among youth. A descriptive survey design was adopted using a purposive sample of 1,199 undergraduate students from the Department of Vocational and Technical Education, University of Benin, Nigeria. Data was collected by the use of a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that over 70% of respondents agreed that skills acquired in Home Economics, such as catering, fashion design, interior decoration, bead making, and childcare can significantly promote poverty reduction, employment generation, and wealth creation. High levels of agreement were recorded across all three NEEDS objectives, indicating strong perceived relevance of Home Economics in economic empowerment. The study concludes that Home Economics is a viable mechanism for achieving key objectives of NEEDS. It recommends increased government support and enrollment in Home Economics programs to enhance skill acquisition, foster self-reliance, promote job creation, and reduce poverty and social vices associated with unemployment. VL - 12 IS - 1 ER -