Assessment of Academic Adjustment and Coping Strategies of Ex-militants in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the influence of Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme on the academic adjustment of ex-militants in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria. Two objectives and research questions guided the study. Using a qualitative approach, ten ex-militants were interviewed across the region. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed to identify key themes. The study adopted a phenomenological research design, and data were collected using a semi-structured interview titled Ex-Militants’ Personal Experiences, Academic Adjustments, Challenges, and Coping Strategies Interview. To ensure validity, member checking, submersion, and external validation were employed, while reliability was ensured through dependability, peer review, trustworthiness, and appraisal. Data were analysed thematically. Findings revealed that ex-militant students face major challenges in re-entering the educational system, including feeling awkward among non-militant and younger classmates, experiencing isolation due to low academic performance, and perceiving academic life as dull compared to their past militant experiences. However, they overcome these difficulties by forming close relationships with brighter peers for coaching, asking teachers for clarification, reporting discriminatory incidents, and developing peer-based support habits to enhance learning. The study recommended that schools enrolling ex-militants should create academic support programmes to ease adjustment by offering extra tutorials, counselling, and orientation sessions that promote inclusive and engaging learning experiences.