Female Student Participation in Recreational Activities: A Study of Facilities Availability and Its Influencing Factors in Nigerian Northern University Hafeez Idowu Agbabiaka 1 , Maryam Ayuba Doguwa 1 , and Edidiong Ukpong 2 Abstract Bayero University is located in the northern region of the country, which is a Muslim-dominated soci- ety where the level of disparity between the male and female genders is high. Hence, this study exam- ined female student participation in recreational activities. Data were obtained through questionnaire administration on female students. Information obtained from the center of information technology revealed 9,685 registered female students across 11 faculties. A total of 291 respondents were selected for the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that recreation facilities are abundantly provided in the University, and most students are aware of their existence. The study further revealed that female students participate less in sporting activities except for jogging, walking, listening to music, and reading. The reason why female students participate in recreation includes: Getting exercise (SPI = 4.41), Keep physically fit (SPI = 4.39), Educational/ research (SPI = 4.38), Improving physical, and emotional health (SPI = 4.29), Developing skill/ability (SPI = 4.08), Boredom (SPI = 3.99), and Minimize stress (SPI = 3.77). Based on further findings, the fac- tors influencing female student participation in recreation include facility safety (accounting for 47% variance) and demographics (accounting for 44.2% variance). Keywords Female student participation, Northern Nigeria, recreation, recreational activities, recreational facilities, tertiary institution 1 Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Bayero University Kano, Nigeria 2 Department of Architecture, University Nigeria, Nigeria Corresponding Author: Hafeez Idowu Agbabiaka, Urban and Regional Planning, Bayero University, Kano 700241, Nigeria. Email: wisdomislifee@yahoo.com Original Research Article Recreational Sports Journal 1-10 © The Author(s) 2023 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/15588661231154489 journals.sagepub.com/home/rsj