A study of 352 randomly selected secondary school girls in an urban population in Southern Western Nigeria revealed a mean menarcheal age of 13.94 +/- 1.31 years and that 76.8% of girls attained menarche between ages 13 and 15 years. Age-matched pre- and post-menarcheal girls did not differ significantly in biophysical measurements, however, nutritional status was strongly and positively associated with attainment of menarche. School girls from the upper socio-economic class reached menarche 11 months earlier than the lower socio-economic counterparts. A significant finding of this study is that the declaration rate in age at menarche was slowest in girls from high socio-economic households. This deceleration was not influenced by body mass suggesting that socio-economic factors play a unique role in the secular trend widely reported in menarcheal age.

In most patriarchal societies, women's property rights are often achieved vicariously, usually through their husbands. By contrast, among the Yoruba of Nigeria, women have some levels of autonomy and independence such that they can accumulate property to which their husbands have no claim, yet they customarily do not have any inheritance right to their husbands' property. This study examines how this gender-equitable property rights regime affects gender relations at the household and societal levels through in-depth interviews conducted in 2012 with fifty-six purposively selected women property owners who lived in urban Ibadan, Nigeria. Findings include that though economic power has improved the status of the women and contributes to development of their communities, it has not yet translated into equity in decision making. More than economic power is required to attain equality. The capability of defining goals and acting upon them is also critical.

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Indigenous women are important part of a community's social capital. This study examined women's use of Indigenous knowledge (IK) for environmental security and sustainable development in southwest Nigeria. Qualitative data was collected using in-depth interviews conducted among 80 purposively selected rural Yoruba women. The data were analysed using descriptive tools such as frequencies, percentages, and content analysis. The findings reveal an extensive wealth of IK used in agriculture, food processing and preservation, family health care, and child care. The findings also suggest that paying attention to IK will help to incorporate culture as part of rural development and sustainable development in Nigeria, leading to more successful outcomes using place-based knowledge. Indigenous women can, and should, contribute to the design and implementation of sustainable development initiatives because of their extensive IK.