Over the past fifty years, Nigerian female migration has undergone significant change, reflecting changes in global mobility trends, cultural norms, and socioeconomic institutions. In the 1970s and 1980s, marriage-related rural-urban migration predominated, but in the 1990s, women’s mobility increased due to cross-border commerce and economic restructuring pressures. Nigerian women began migrating for work around the 2000s, especially in the fields of education and healthcare. In the 2010s and 2020s, autonomous professional migration, diaspora growth, and digital enabled mobility all increased. This study traces the historical development of female migration, examines current drivers, and identifies gendered vulnerabilities like trafficking, exploitation, and limited access to formal employment. It does this by utilizing secondary data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), and Nigerian scholarship. The results show that Nigerian women are now key players in both domestic and foreign migration, making substantial contributions to social change, education, and remittances while also overcoming institutional obstacles. The need for better sex-disaggregated data collection, gender-sensitive migration frameworks, and empowerment via education and career training are all highlighted by policy implications. For policymakers, scholars, and practitioners interested in African migration governance, this study places Nigerian female migration within international discussions on gender, agency, and development. 

Keywords: female migration, associational, autonomous, globalization, brain drain.