GENDER COMPOSITION OF STUDENTS IN NIGERIAN SCHOOLS OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE WAY OUT OF THE IMBALANCE.

The study focuses on some selected universities in South Western Nigeria, which include two federal universities -- Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and University of Lagos (UNILAG); two universities of Technology -- Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH). It also covers two private universities -- Covenant University (CU) and Joseph Ayo-Babalola University (JABU). This study was aimed to better understand the gender composition of Nigerian school of architecture and the factors that influence a female student's choice of the course in order to encourage the girl child enrolment in the course in Nigeria universities. Through the survey approach, questionnaires were used to elicit information from students in the last two years of the B.Sc. programme and those in the two years of the M.Sc. programme. The result shows that the strongest stimulator of a young woman's decision to enrol in architectural course is the perceived future prospect in the profession this is followed by her personal interest as well as existing relationships with people who have studied the course. This research establishes that identity is often contested ground for women architectural students who, at times, uphold gendered stereotypes about women's suitability for commonly viewed 'masculine' course like architecture, yet also subscribe to an ideal that the course is accessible to all who want to study it. As a consequence, it is critical that the education system finds novel ways of challenging and addressing cultural norms and practices that facilitate gendered stereotypes in construction-related courses (such as architecture) in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]