Agripreneurship as a catalyst for rural women empowerment and sustainable livelihoods in northeastern Nigeria

This study develops and validates the Rural Women Agripreneurship’s Empowerment Index (RWAEI), a multidimensional framework designed to measure the empowerment outcomes of women agripreneurs in conflict-affected communities of Northeastern Nigeria. Anchored on Sen’s Capability Approach and Gendered Institutions Theory, the study assesses how agripreneurial engagement enhances women’s agency, access to productive resources, decision-making autonomy, and livelihood sustainability. Using data from 1,146 women across Gombe, Bauchi, and Adamawa States, and employing Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), the study identifies significant empowerment pathways through mechanization, hired labour, production participation, and market integration. The RWAEI demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.812), validating its utility for gendered rural development assessment. Findings reveal that agripreneurship significantly strengthens women’s economic inclusion and leadership capabilities, thereby promoting sustainable livelihoods and post-conflict resilience. The paper recommends integrating empowerment indicators into agricultural policy, expanding access to mechanization finance, and supporting women-led agribusiness networks to accelerate progress toward SDGs 1, 5, and 8.