Influence of Anxiety on the Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students in South-Western Nigerian Tertiary Institutions

This study examined the influence of anxiety on the academic performance of final-year undergraduate students in selected tertiary institutions in South-Western Nigeria. Employing a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 200 students drawn from five universities using a structured questionnaire. The study explored three major components of anxiety—emotional, cognitive, and behavioral—and their relationship with students’ academic outcomes. Findings revealed that a significant proportion of the respondents (46%) reported being “very often” nervous before examinations, and 52% admitted to experiencing difficulty sleeping before major academic assessments. About 48.5% indicated that anxiety affected their concentration in class, while 43.5% agreed that it interfered with their ability to complete assignments on time. Through multiple regression analysis, the study showed that the composite influence of anxiety symptoms on academic performance was statistically significant (R = 0.612, R² = 0.375, p < 0.01), indicating that approximately 37.5% of the variance in academic performance could be explained by anxiety symptoms. The joint contribution of anxiety symptoms and demographic variables (age, gender, institution type) also yielded a significant result (R = 0.658, R² = 0.433, p < 0.01), suggesting a combined explanatory power of 43.3%. Among the predictors, cognitive anxiety had the strongest relative contribution (β = -0.51, p < 0.01), followed by emotional (β = -0.28, p < 0.05) and behavioural components (β = -0.17, p < 0.05). The study concludes that anxiety, particularly its cognitive aspects, negatively impacts academic performance among final-year students. It recommends that tertiary institutions should enhance access to counselling services, organize anxiety management workshops, and provide stress-relief programs aimed at improving students’ mental health and academic outcomes.