Assessing the role of peer support in Mitigating Moral decadence and Enhancing Academic Success Among out-of-School Youths in West Africa: Analysis from Nigeria and Benin Republic

Moral decadence and poor academic performance among adolescents remain two major contemporary issues in our education institutions. The positive and negative impact of peer support in such aspects of life appears very significant but still remains unexplored in trans-border contexts. This study assessed the relationship between peer support, morality, and academic performance among out-of-school youths in Nigeria and Benin Republic during the post-COVID-19 era. A descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The sample size consisted of 323 out-of-school youths that were sampled from an annual conference at Iwo in Osun State, Nigeria. Data collected through validated questionnaires were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results showed that peer support knowledge was positively related to morality and academic-related issues. Furthermore, significant differences were found in the knowledge of peer support among Nigerian and Beninese youths. The study, in turn, emphasized the need to capitalize on the support systems for peers to solve both moral and academic problems. It suggested providing appropriate support at peer levels in order to further strengthen moral behaviours and academic achievement among young people for increased productivity and societal engagement.