INTRODUCTION:
gender equity is fundamental to achieving equitable and sustainable public health outcomes. despite improvements in women’s education and economic participation in nigeria, substantial disparities persist in autonomy and decision-making that influence health equity and inclusion.¹–³ this study examines patterns and determinants of women’s empowerment in nigeria using nationally representative data from the 2024 nigeria demographic and health survey (NDHS).¹

METHODS:
a secondary analysis of the 2024 NDHS women’s dataset was conducted.¹ key indicators of women’s empowerment included employment status, control over personal earnings, ownership of assets, participation in household decision-making, and attitudes toward wife beating, consistent with established empowerment frameworks.⁴ weighted descriptive statistics and cross-tabulation analyses were used to assess disparities by region, urban–rural residence, educational attainment, and household wealth quintile.¹,⁵

RESULTS:
approximately two-thirds of married women reported working in the past year; however, only 36% participated in all major household decisions.¹ ownership of mobile phones (62%) and bank accounts (43%) was higher among urban, educated, and wealthier women.¹ marked regional disparities were observed, with only 7% of women in the north-west reporting informed sexual decision-making compared with 73% in the south-south.¹ acceptance of wife beating remained prevalent at 22%, reflecting persistent gender norms that constrain equity and inclusion across nigeria’s socio-economic and geographic contexts.²,⁵

CONCLUSIONS:
women’s empowerment in nigeria remains uneven and is strongly shaped by education, wealth, and geographic location.³,⁶ expanding access to education, strengthening financial inclusion, and implementing gender-transformative interventions are critical to closing gender gaps and advancing health equity and sustainable public health outcomes in nigeria.²,³,⁷