This study investigates the socioeconomic features and livelihood activities of female migrant laborers in rural Southwest Nigeria. Rural-urban migration has been a recurrent issue in Nigeria, with women making up a growing share of migrants. However, there has been little research into the socioeconomic characteristics and livelihood choices of female migrant workers in rural areas. The cross-sectional study design was used. The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) provides an appropriate framework for the study, and a multi-stage sampling approach was used. Ondo West Local Government Area (LGA) was purposefully chosen due to the high concentration of female migrant labourers in its rural regions. Five political wards (Wards 2, 4, 5, 6, and 12) were selected at random from the LGA, with six rural communities drawn at random from each ward. The sample size of 1047 female migrant workers was determined using Slovin’s sample size determination algorithm. A questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic parameters and livelihood activities. Data were examined with descriptive statistics and ANOVA at p≤0.05. The findings indicate that the majority of migrant women are young, married, and have a low level of education. Their livelihood activities include commerce, farming, and artisanal employment, which are frequently characterized by poor income, restricted access to finance, and vulnerability to shocks.

The results also reveal that the observed F-values for each socioeconomic factor (age, nationality, marital status, educational qualification, and yearly average income) are more than the crucial F-value of (1.0) at F0.05, 29, 1017 when the p-value falls below 0.05. This suggests that the socioeconomic characteristics of female migrant workers vary significantly among livelihood activities and rural wards. The study suggests that measures encouraging women’s economic empowerment and rural development are critical to improve the livelihoods of female migrant workers. To increase their economic prospects and resilience, recommendations include giving access to microfinance, vocational training, and social protection programs.