Investigating intersectionality and its influence on information behaviours of women and immigrant digital entrepreneurs in Nigeria: overcoming social inequalities through information strategies.

Ibrahim, Suraj; Marcella, Rita; MacLennan, Alan

Abstract

This study investigates how intersecting social identities shape the information behaviours of women and immigrant digital entrepreneurs in Nigeria, addressing systemic inequalities through information practices. Using a qualitative approach, the research analyses interviews with 26 digital entrepreneurs, including seven marginalized women and immigrant entrepreneurs, employing grounded theory and critical realism. Findings reveal that gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion and socioeconomic status create multilayered barriers to information. Conversely, technology, online communities including WhatsApp groups and mutual support networks emerge as critical enablers, fostering agency and resilience. The study introduces Socio-Informational Stratification (SIS), a mid-range theory highlighting how marginalized entrepreneurs navigate stratified information environments, repositioning themselves despite structural constraints. Through bridging micro-level lived experiences with macro-level structural forces, this study advances understanding of how marginalized groups leverage information to challenge systemic inequities in Nigeria's evolving digital entrepreneurship environment.

Citation

IBRAHIM, S., MARCELLA, R. and MACLENNAN, A. 2025. Investigating intersectionality and its influence on information behaviours of women and immigrant digital entrepreneurs in Nigeria: overcoming social inequalities through information strategies. Journal of librarianship and information science [online], OnlineFirst. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006251329031

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 28, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Mar 28, 2025
• Deposit Date: Apr 1, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 1, 2025
• Journal: Journal of librarianship and information science
• Print ISSN: 0961-0006
• Electronic ISSN: 1741-6477
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006251329031
• Keywords: Digital entrepreneurship; Information behaviour; Information poverty; Intersectionality; Nigeria; Socio-informational stratification
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2780348