Abstract
This study examined influence of non-formal education programmes on women participation in
community development in Obio/Akpor and Bonny Local Government Areas of Rivers State. Three
research objectives, and three research questions. Descriptive survey research design was adopted
for the study. The population of this study was 252 which comprised 94 female learners in the
registered adult education centers in Bonny and 158 female learners in the registered adult
education centers in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. The census approach
was adopted to accommodate the entire population of the study as sample because it was a
manageable size. The instrument for data collection was a closed-ended structured questionnaire
titled “Influence of Non-formal Education Programmes on Women Participation in Community
Development Process Questionnaire” (INEPWPCDPQ). The reliability of the instrument was
determined through a pilot study, while Cronbach Alpha Statistic Method was used to establish
the reliability coefficient (r) value of 0.66. The responses from the three research questions were
analyzed with dscriptive statistics such as Mean and Standard Deviation Statistic. The findings
from the study revealed that that non-formal education programmes such as political education,
leadership education, and basic literacy programmes influence women participation in community
development to a high extent. The study recommended among others that Non-formal adult
education programmes should be taken serious by government at all levels, NGOs and other
development agencies to breach the development gape in our communities.