The World Bank has said that weak enforcement of gender equality laws and lack of parenthood support policies in Nigeria are constraining women’s participation in the workforce and also limits the country’s economic growth.

In its Women, Business and the Law 2026 report, the bank said Nigeria scores 50 out of 100 on gender equality laws but just 21.7 out of 100 on the systems required to implement them, including funding, services and institutional support.

The report also gave Nigeria a zero out of 100 score on parenthood policies, citing the absence of federally mandated paid maternity leave of at least 14 weeks, paid paternity leave, and protections against dismissal of pregnant workers.

The World Bank warned that gaps between legislation and enforcement are creating “huge opportunity gaps” that undermine productivity in developing economies.

Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics at the World Bank Group, Indermit Gill, said there is a wide gap between laws on paper and their real-world application.

“On paper, most countries are doing reasonably well: the average country scores 67 out of 100 on the adequacy of laws to enable economic equality between women and men,” Gill said.

“But when it comes to enforcing the laws, the average score drops to 53. And when the systems needed to implement those rights are assessed, the adequacy score is just 47. These numbers reflect huge opportunity gaps.”

The report noted that globally, only 4 percent of women live in economies with near-full legal equality.

According to the Bretton Woods institution, the absence of structured childcare systems, paid parental leave, and enforceable equal pay provisions in Nigeria weakens female labour force retention and limits the country’s ability to harness its demographic potential.

“The country currently lacks federal laws mandating at least 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, paid paternity leave, or explicit prohibitions against the dismissal of pregnant workers. Across all Nigerian states, there are virtually no explicit provisions ensuring access to affordable and quality childcare,” the report reads.

“Less than half of the 190 economies globally provide financial support for families, and Nigeria lacks the critical tax support or government-administered mechanisms to keep mothers in the workforce.”

The report added that Nigeria lacks tax incentives or government-administered financial support systems aimed at helping families balance work and care-giving responsibilities.