Although the population of older never married women in Nigeria is increasing considerably, negligible attention
has been paid to this emerging social reality. This paper examined the determinants of singlehood from
the life experience of never married women. Aspects of Giddens’ Structuration theory provided theoretical
framework for the study. Empirical Data were drawn from twenty-seven In-depth Interviews, two Life Histories,
and seven Focus Group Discussions conducted between 2010 and 2011 in Lagos, Nigeria with involuntary
and childless never married women aged 30 and above. The major determinants of singlehood among
them were drive for economic empowerment and financial independence, personal mate selection preference,
marital experience of other women, cultural beliefs and practices, family background factors, and
higher education. Increasing singlehood among women threatens Nigeria’s traditional nuptiality pattern of
early and universal marriage and could become one of the most important components of demographic transition
in 21st century Lagos.