CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Betting, also known as gambling, entails placing bets on an uncertain event through putting down money or valuable items with the objective of receiving extra money or rewards. The most common type of betting in Nigeria is known as "Baba Ijebu," which is a lottery form of betting highly popularized in Nigeria, irrespective of the age bracket involved, even students. With advancements in technology and convenience brought about by online betting, many students have resorted to betting activities.

Recent research findings have shown an increase in the prevalence of gambling activities among students owing to issues such as peer pressure, financial constraints, and the need for easy earnings (Adebayo & Akinyemi, 2023). Though some students see betting activities as harmless games, there are other students who develop gambling problems which may lead to interference with their studies. Studies reveal that students with a lot of gambling activities have poor time management skills and fail to attend classes (Olatunji et al., 2024).

Academic performance is a term used to describe the level at which learners accomplish their academic objectives, which are usually evaluated using scores and grades. Research indicates that behaviors like gambling could affect academic engagement and performance adversely if they turn into addiction or take up much of a person’s time (Mensah & Osei, 2023). Thus, investigating the effect of Baba Ijebu betting on academic performance is highly significant.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Baba Ijebu betting has gained popularity among students, causing a stir among teachers, parents, and policy makers alike. In Nigeria, many students have been found wasting their time and resources in betting rather than doing what is needed for their academics. Such students might suffer academically, financially, and psychologically as a result of this new trend.

Nevertheless, there exists no research-based literature which addresses this problem of Baba Ijebu betting in terms of its negative impact on students' academic performance in particular. While some students may lose money and get stressed in the process, others may even end up becoming gamblers and neglecting their academics. Moreover, with easy access to online betting sites, it is difficult to monitor students' involvement.

In light of this, there is an obvious need to carry out an empirical study about the topic of interest.

 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 INTRODUCTION

This section presents a review of works of different authors around the world on various areas of interest for the study based on and guided by the stated objectives to be investigated by the current study. However, the chapter also presents a summary of literature review.

Concept of the Impact of Baba Ijebu (Betting) on Students’ Academic Performance Among Nigerian Students

Betting, widely referred to in Nigeria as “Baba Ijebu,” is defined as an activity where individuals put up money in order to make profit by gambling their money based on a predicted future result of an uncertain event such as a sports competition or game among others. Baba Ijebu is one of the oldest and well-known betting platforms in Nigeria and has gained enormous popularity amongst youth including university students, especially due to the prevalence of the Internet and mobile phones combined with economic difficulties. In recent years, sports betting has emerged from a leisure pursuit to a significant social and economic activity amongst Nigerian students.

Academic performance is described as how successful a student becomes in educational activities. It is usually determined using exams, class assignments, GPA, and class participation. High levels of academic performance require high levels of concentration, self-discipline, proper time management, and good study habits. Excessive engagement in betting may, however, hinder the achievement of all these aspects that are critical for high academic performance. Studies have found that students who engage excessively in betting activities are likely to suffer distractions, lack time for studies, have financial problems, and may be emotionally unstable..

Gaming among the Nigerian youth has greatly grown as a result of unemployment, poverty, peer pressure, and the need to make quick cash. Many Nigerian students find Baba Ijebu and other gaming avenues as an avenue through which they can make money to cater for themselves, pay school fees, and even for their social engagements. As Kasim and Adebisi (2026) note, growth in gambling venues such as Baba Ijebu and other online sports betting has led to a rise in gambling among Nigerian youths including the student population..

The first negative influence of betting by students on their academic performance is the distraction from academic work. For students who are actively engaged in betting, most of the time can be devoted to analyzing football games, going to betting agencies, studying odd, and predicting results of sports games than on studying. As a result, such students do not have enough time to read books and textbooks, complete assignments, attend classes, and do other necessary actions which can be connected to academic activities. According to Daniel et al., (2025), the problem of excessive betting has a bad impact on academic performance.

Time mismanagement is the second negative impact of betting on academic performance. Being psychologically addicted to betting activities, many students can neglect their academic duties and commitments and prefer to spend their time on gambling. In this regard, some of students may fail to visit lessons, examinations, and other academic sessions in order to watch football matches and make bets. Therefore, it can be stated that active betting affects adversely the academic performance of students (Otu, 2025)..

Gambling problems related to betting may also hinder students' academics. Despite the fact that many students indulge in betting with expectations of earning some profits, the reality is that gambling will result in losses. Some students may become stressed, frustrated, depressed and anxious due to losses incurred from betting. There are those students who resort to using money set aside for tuition fee, buying books, food, accommodation, and other educational activities in order to fund their gambling. Financial pressure and economic hardships were established as main motivating factors for indulgence in sports betting by Nigerian undergraduate students.

Additionally, there are chances that betting could lead to gambling addiction in students. Gambling addiction happens when one becomes addicted to gambling behavior despite the undesirable consequences that such gambling brings. Gamblers addicted to betting will try to engage themselves in betting in attempts of retrieving their lost money or attaining financial gains. Such addiction is known to result in emotional imbalances, poor classroom attendance, academic underachievement, and isolation. Bankole and Bankole (2026) stated that gambling addiction and obsessive gambling tendencies predicted risky gambling among Nigerian undergraduate students.

Activities of betting could also contribute to the emergence of psychological and emotional challenges faced by students. Losses incurred through gambling activities will frustrate, depress, irritate and create feelings of inferiority. Students who undergo stress and emotional tension due to gambling activities will be unable to concentrate during lectures and exams. Some students end up engaging in criminal activities such as theft and fraud for purposes of raising money to sustain their betting habits. Gambling stress and psychological problems among Nigerian youth have been recognized as an important public health issue.

While betting activities are known to cause some of these negative effects to students, others believe that betting activities are not detrimental as long as they are controlled. According to this group of students, betting is entertaining, a way of interacting with friends and even financially benefiting in case of winning the bet. Most of the empirical evidence on the effects of gambling shows that heavy participation in gambling results into poor performance in schools.

Moreover, the social context influences the popularity of Baba Ijebu gambling among the students of Nigeria. Peer influence, social media promotion, celebrity endorsement, and sportsmanship compel the youth of the country to indulge in gambling activities. Social media influencer personalities along with the advertisement campaigns of online betting organizations create unrealistic perceptions among Nigerian youths regarding making quick money through betting activities. According to the research by Makinde et al., betting influencers often develop a positive attitude towards gambling amongst Nigerian youths on social media.

To sum up, Baba Ijebu betting has emerged as one of the major social issues faced by students from Nigeria in relation to their academic success. While students might indulge in such activities as a form of entertainment or due to financial needs, they often lead to distraction and poor time management, causing financial problems, mental distress, and poor academic results. In addition, gambling addiction and peer pressure make the situation worse for the students in terms of their academic performance. Thus, there is a need to spread awareness among the students about the negative effects of excessive betting and educate them about proper behavior.