The
need to meet the basic necessities of life is an essential aspect of everyday
activity in a human life. The natural expectation of most societies is that the
man is the bread winner of the family and should therefore provide all the
requirements of the home. This however is not often the case, not just in the
modern context but even in the cultural or traditional homes in most part of
the world.      

While
the man works tirelessly to meet up with these obligations most often their
female partners participate equally in activities that would help the family
meet up with its needs, either in the traditional farm settings or fishing
communities, or in the more sophisticated societies of today. The woman continues to play a vital role in
the family in other to make ends meet. The average woman in the barracks
therefore is not an exception to this fact.

The
women in the barracks are married to men whom by choice have decided on the
noble call to serve their country and humanity at large. Similarly the women
married to them are by extension committed to supporting them in this
course. They have chosen to accept all
the pain and glory of their choice and dedicated to support them just like any
average family anywhere else.

The
military profession being a calling is not a highly paid job anywhere in the
world, but men in this profession often enjoy certain privileges, which, in a
developing country like still lives much to be desired. It is therefore not
surprising that the women in the Nigerian Barracks would not be idle but strive
to assist their men in providing for the family.

The
average barracks in Nigeria is a mini town on its own with a population that
has its own peculiar needs. These needs are often accessed within the barracks
in a mini market referred to as mammy market. This is one of the places the
average barrack woman runs her small business to provide goods and services for
financial rewards to support her family’s needs. The business is usually
comprised of goods and services which are required by the immediate community
on a small scale, and for which she, more often than not, does not require a
large capital to set up.

The
businesses engaged in by women in the Barracks range from simple trading in
provisions, cosmetics and foodstuff to patent medicine stores, hair dressing
salons, tailoring shops, food canteens and beer parlours, rentals of chairs and
tables etc. There are also women who engage in seasonal trading of mostly
consumables like roasting and cooking corn, groundnuts, mangoes, firewood etc.
To the average woman in the barrack, most trading activities that will generate
income to augment her husbands’ is welcome.

However,
despite the profound impact micro businesses have on the lives of women in the
barracks, it is believed that they have not being able to maximise their
potential in these ventures due to their inability to adequately access both
local and national schemes that would enable them to do so. Consequently, the
study would try to proffer solution.

1.2     Statement
of the Problem

The problem which
arises from inadequate finances available to women in micro businesses within
the barracks has hindered their growth in that area, and it is believed that
such unavailability is as a result of lack of awareness on the subject, and
also the proper medium within which they can access such funds.

Therefore this research
will examine the unavailability and lack of awareness of financing options and
its resultant effect on the barrack women engaging in micro businesses.

1.3    Objectives of the Study