Perceived Discrimination, School Belonging, and Academic Motivation Among Minority Ethnic Students in Nigerian Universities

This study investigates the relationships among perceived ethnic discrimination, school belonging, and academic motivation among minority ethnic students in selected Nigerian federal universities across multiple geopolitical zones. Nigerian universities draw students from hundreds of ethnic groups, and minority students may face social exclusion or cultural marginalisation that undermines their academic engagement. Despite increasing attention to diversity in higher education globally, empirical research on the psychological experiences of ethnic minority university students within Nigerian institutions remains limited. The study employs a cross-sectional survey design, recruiting 350 self-identified ethnic minority students from five federal universities in Abuja, Enugu, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, and Zaria. The Everyday Discrimination Scale, the Psychological Sense of School Membership Scale, and the Academic Motivation Scale were used as instruments. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling with school belonging tested as a mediator. Results indicate that perceived discrimination significantly reduces school belonging, which in turn mediates the relationship between discrimination and intrinsic academic motivation. Students who reported higher perceived discrimination also showed lower persistence intentions and higher disengagement scores. Having same-ethnicity faculty members was associated with reduced perceived discrimination. These findings extend identity-based motivation theory to the Nigerian federal university context and highlight the institutional responsibility to actively address ethnic inclusion. University diversity offices are advised to develop structured minority student support programmes. Keywords: perceived discrimination, school belonging, academic motivation, minority ethnic students, Nigerian universities.