Causes and Effects of Single Parenthood on Academic Performance of Students in Southwestern Part of Nigeria

Single parenting is when a parent, either a mother or a father, raising their children alone without the help of another.This study looks into the causes and effects of single parenthood on academic performance of students in southwestern part of Nigeria.Five hundred (500) respondents in both university and polytechnic in three states (Ekiti, Ondo, Osun) of southwestern part of Nigeria were administered questionnaire to collect data on the causes (poverty, death of spouse, marital violence (divorce and separation) and extra marital pregnancy) and the effects (low commitment, lack of attention, poor financial strength, and low impact on the wellbeing of children) of single parenthood.Multiple bar chart as a descriptive statistics was used and it showed a higher proportion respondents agreed to death of spouse and low impact on the wellbeing of children (students) as the main cause and effect of single parenthood on academic performance of students in southwestern part of Nigeria.Chi-square test of independence was used to investigate effect of single parenthood on students' academic performance, the obtained data were analyzed.The results from the three states reveal that p-value less than level of significance and null hypothesis rejected.It was concluded that single parenting affects students' academic performances