Effects of Fishing Activities on the Academic Performance of Teenagers in Riverine Areas of Nigeria: Implications for Educational Development Policy in Nigeria

Abstract: This study examined the effects of fishing activities and socio-economic characteristics of teenagers who engage in fishing on their academic performance in Ibeno Local Government Area (L.G.A.) of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Two communities were purposively selected and stratified random sampling was used to select fifty six teenage students who participate in fishing industry/activities. Sources of primary data were structured questionnaires and interviews. Analytical techniques used are descriptive statistics and logit regression technique. Results show that academic performance is statistically and inversely related to frequency of fishing per week and family size but directly and significantly related to fishing as a means of supporting academics. Recommendations include a national population policy option aimed at reducing family size and encouraging non-governmental organizations, philanthropists as well as business corporations to work unitedly with different levels of government in providing free education at lower levels and scholarships for higher studies to ease the suffering of teenagers who fish to support/finance their education.