The important role that small ruminants’ husbandry play in the lives of women in rural Nigeria cannot be overemphasised. This is attributable to the income generating potential of these animals as it forms a major source of credit that is easily accessible to these women in meeting immediate and urgent financial needs. Findings from our study in southwest Nigeria indicated that about 68 percent of women in the study area utilised part of the income generated from small ruminants’ rearing to meet the welfare needs of their members and settle unforeseen financial demands such as paying hospital bills (10.4 percent) and assisting relations in emergency situations (7.8 percent). However, the most preferred of the small ruminants is goat because its consumption and marketability has no religious or cultural restrictions and the least preferred is swine. Meanwhile, because education and poverty status of respondents were found to be important determinants of income realised from small ruminants' husbandry, there is the need to build capacity of respondents through proper education and knowledge of family planning techniques will help to moderate family size in the study area.

This study will focus on the importance of the role of livestock in the lives of households residing in ruralareas of Nigeria. Livestock (especially small ruminants) provide the easiest and most readily accessiblesource of credit available to meet immediate household obligations. In southwest Nigeria, rural womenare involved in the raising or rearing of small ruminants – sheep and goats especially around homes. Thisstudy examines the extent to which these small ruminants have assisted in meeting financial obligationsof these women with a view to ensuring sustainability and possibly improving on the status quo.