Abstract. Although the number of women in physics in Nigeria is increasing, there is still poor enrollment in physics compared with all other science and engineering fields. At the last annual meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Physics, the Association of Women Physicists was formed. It is hoped that the activities of this new group will encourage more women at all levels of educational development to study physics. This paper presents the trends in female participation in physics from 2008 to 2010 and reports on the first national conference of Nigerian women in physics, held in February 2011.